Starting Over
by tp96
Summary: Kaiana Morris was once a famous model but decided to trade her life of luxury for a normal teenage life after her parents' death. Read to see how she forms new relationships as she becomes a part of the One Tree Hill gang. LucasOC pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: First Day at School**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

**Note:** **Here is a brief description about what the story is about. The main character, Kaiana, is supposed to be new to Tree Hill, but quickly makes friends with Lucas, Brooke, Nathan, and Haley. Nathan and Haley are together, but Lucas is single. You'll soon see who Kaiana might end up dating in further chapters. I'm going try to put some serious drama in there. Well here is a character profile of Kaiana and the first chapter of the story.**

**Full Name: Kaiana Britney Morris**

**Hair: Dark Brown with Blonde Streaks down to the middle of her back**

**Eyes: Honey Colored**

**Ethnicity: African-American**

**Height: 5'9"**

**Weight: 139 lbs**

**On to the story….**

Alright…stop being a baby and just get out the of the truck. You can do this. You've dealt with bitchy models and arrogant designers. What can a few regular teenagers do to you? Now I'm talking to myself. Jesus! This is it...time to face the music.As Kaiana Morris exited her SUV, she noticed that there was kids scattered all over the campus. There was a couple making out on the stairs in front of everyone, while various groups and cliques were standing around talking and laughing. As she drew closer to the stairs it seemed to get quiet all of sudden. She did a quick scan of her outfit to see if anything was out of place upon noticing the stares in her direction. The guys seemed to be leering, while some of the girls were giving either looks of curiosity or of jealousy. She decided to just ignore them as she walked up the stairs to enter the main doors of the school, rolling her eyes at the catcalls and whistles she heard.

When she reached the double doors at the top of the stairs, she took a deep cleansing breath. It was now or never. She took another deep breath before stepping through the doors into the hallway. As soon as she entered the hallway, she was bombarded with the sound of loud conversations and laughter. Just as she was about to stop and ask someone where the main office is, she heard one of the sexiest voices in all of creation. Her eyes followed the sound of the voice until they came in contact with a tall guy with dirty blonde hair that had that messy look as if he just woke up out of bed. He was walking with three girls and another guy. The other guy was even taller than him, except he had dark hair. _Now if these guys are any indication of how the guys look here, then sticking around this town might not be so bad. But who are those girls with them? Are they girlfriends or friends? Well, you said you wanted to make friends, so here's your chance._

They were almost right in front of her now. All she had to do was just walk up to them and say hi, but for some reason she couldn't. It was like her feet were rooted to the floor. She could see herself walking over to them in her mind, but her feet refused to budge. Then it hit her...she was scared…scared out of mind. Before she could convince herself to talk to them, one of the girls locked eyes with hers. She had dark hair that was cut in layers with red highlights. Kaiana witnessed the various emotions run across her face. First there almost seemed to be a sign of recognition, but then it was gone as soon as it had appeared...next followed surprise and then curiosity. It seems she wouldn't have to get up the nerve to talk to them, because the girl seemed to be heading her way.

"Hey you okay," she asked. "You look like you're lost."

"Umm…yeah I'm sorta looking for the main office," Kaiana answered awkwardly. "I'm new here and I need to pick up my schedule."

"Come on I'll show you. You're not too far away from it really. Just a couple doors down this hall. I'm Brooke by the way,"she said smiling brightly.

Kaiana was surprised at the act of kindness, but she found herself smiling right back at Brooke and shaking the hand she had outstretched. "Hi, I'm Kaiana Morris. Thanks, I would really appreciate you showing me the office."

"Okay come on...it's this way," Brooke replied with that same beaming smile.

Brooke's constant smile was starting to unnerve her a little, so her eyes strayed over to the group of teenagers watching with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. Next thing she knew she was being dragging over to them. Brooke proceeded to introduce her as if they were long lost friends. "Hey guys, this is Kaiana Morris," she said cheerfully. "She's new here."

Peyton and Haley exchanged a curious look. They were thinking the same thing. What was up with Brooke? Since when did she become so friendly to strangers? Correction...she _was_ friendly to strangers, but only ones of the male variety. Peyton glanced at Brooke, to find that she was giving her an almost impatient look. Peyton got the hint. Brooke was waiting for her to say hello to the new girl. "Hey, I'm Peyton and this is Haley," she said gesturing to the red head standing next to her, allowing a small smile to form on her face. Haley smiled at Kaiana as well, giving her a small wave.

"So wait a minute, don't us handsome guys get an introduction? Guess we'll just have to introduce ourselves then. I'm Nathan and this is Lucas."

So that's his name…Lucas. Kaiana let her mind wrap around the fact that this gorgeous guy was now standing so close to her. If she didn't know any better she would say he was also checking her out. As their eyes locked, she realized he had dark blue eyes that were so intense it was like she was getting lost just gazing into them. She didn't know how long they stood there staring at each other before hearing someone cough. The cough brought her back to her senses and she realized Brooke, Peyton, Haley, and Nathan were all staring. Kaiana felt a blush rising on her cheeks. She thanked the Lord for her caramel complexion skin that concealed her embarrassment.

Somehow she managed to smile at Nathan and shake his hand politely. Shaking Lucas's hand was a whole other story. He stretched his hand out to shake hers, but she stalled for a moment. She stared at his hand as if she expected it to bite her at any second. "It's ok to touch me," he said, laughing lightly. "I don't have a disease you know".

There was that voice again. It was so smooth and soft. She felt like he was caressing her with his voice. She forced herself to stay cool and not to break out into a sweat as she finally stuck her hand out to shake his. The moment their hands touched she felt this spark of electricity. When she looked into his eyes, she realized he felt it too because his eyes turned slightly darker. Is this what chemistry is or love at first sight? No. She couldn't be thinking about love when she just met the guy.

"Sorry", Kaiana managed to squeak out. "I didn't mean to insult you."

"It's cool," Lucas replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Really…I was just kidding. So you're new here huh?"

"Yeah, I just moved to Tree Hill," said Kaiana, adjusting her bag on her shoulder nervously.

"Oh really…well welcome to Tree Hill," Lucas responded, his voice deepening. "I'm sure you'll love it here." His voice has a slight flirtatious tone to it.

"You know what," Kaiana continued. "I'm beginning to think I'll love it here too."

**Note: In case anyone was interested Kaiana's outfit consisted of: a white DKNY baby t-shirt with DKNY written across it in red stones, a red DKNY motorcycle style leather jacket that stopped at the waist, a pair of close-fitting jeans with a red broad belt slung on her hips, and red leather boots.** **Ok guys please review. I'm trying to get more comfortable with writing dialogue. It's more difficult than I thought it would be. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: First Day at School Pt. 2**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

So how exactly are you supposed to act around a guy that made you blood pressure skyrocket? That's all Kaiana wondered while she continued to steal glances of Lucas. Apparently all five of them decided to walk her to the main office, even though Brooke was the one who originally offered. She wondered if anyone else had picked up on the vibes between Lucas and her. They probably will soon if she didn't stop staring at him through the corner of her eye. She decided that keeping her head pointed straight ahead was a good idea, because apparently she couldn't seem to stop herself from looking at Lucas as he walked beside her. The conversations of the other four drifted into her conscious mind, but she was so focused on the scent of Lucas's cologne that she barely heard her name being called.  
  
Brooke started giggling and said, "Hey...you in there or what?"  
  
"Huh…what", Kaiana asked, turning to look at Brooke, still slightly dazed.  
  
"Nothing…it's just your mind seemed to be somewhere else," said Brooke with a discreet nod towards Lucas

"Alright here we are," said Brooke, abruptly changing the subject. "This is the main office. Do you want one of us to stick around and wait for you and help you find your first class?" Again Peyton and Haley exchanged a strange look at Brooke's sudden need to be extra helpful and friendly. Haley then glanced at Nathan, who shrugged in answer. He couldn't figure Brooke out either and he wasn't about to try.  
  
"Nah, it's cool," Kaiana said quickly, not missing the looks being exchanged. "I'll figure out where it is. Don't worry about me. I don't want you guys to be late for class."  
  
"Are you sure," Haley asked, with a half smile. "It's not a problem if you want one of us to wait for you. Wouldn't want you to get lost and get attacked by one of the many horny jocks that might be roaming around these hallways." She rolled her eyes playfully and nudged Nathan in his arm. "Hey, lay off the jock jokes alright," Nathan said with a smirk. "You're dating one of those jocks remember. Not to mention one of them also happens to be your best friend."  
  
Lucas laughed, and threw an arm around Haley's shoulder. "Yeah Hales," said Lucas. "Did you forget that I'm on the basketball team, as well as Nathan? Plus, the last time I checked Nathan is _your_ boyfriend."  
  
Haley blushed and giggled. "Alright guys. You got me, but I still stand by my original comment. You guys are not excluded from that horny jocks statement!"  
  
Nathan leaned over and gave Haley a quick kiss on the lips. "Whatever," he said smugly. "You know this yet you love us anyway."  
  
Brooke and Peyton were just standing there looking at Lucas, Haley, and Nathan and rolling their eyes. "Alright guys", said Peyton. "We have to get to class and so does Kaiana. You can bore her to tears with your dry jokes later." Right after she said that the morning bell to start classes rung.  
  
"Damn", said Brooke. "We really do have to go. Kaiana we'll see you later okay…maybe at lunch."  
  
Kaiana's eyebrows rose with surprise, but found herself shaking her head yes and muttering a "sure if you want".  
  
Everyone began walking away except Lucas. He just stood there staring at her. "See you at lunch," he said finally, giving her a small smile. 

"Ok...see you later," she replied, waving her hand good bye. Lucas waved and then jogged down the hallway to head to his first class.  
  
Kaiana shook her head in surprise. Did she just make five friends in a matter of minutes? As she entered the main office, she wondered if they really liked her or if they just realized who she really was. She had her suspicions that Brooke recognized her but she wasn't sure. She could have sworn she had seen recognition in her eyes earlier, but it was gone so fast she was beginning to think it might have been just her imagination. If Brooke knew who she was, why wouldn't she have said something right off the bat? Kaiana hoped that if she did know that Brooke would keep it to herself...at least for now.  
  
She managed to collect her schedule from the administrative officer and a lecture on how being late for classes on your first day did not make a good impression...like she really gave a damn about making a good impression. She exited the office and stepped into the hallway, immediately doing a quick scan of her first four classes. She quickly continued down the hallway as she tried to find her first class, which was English. She stopped abruptly at the classroom that was supposed to be her English class and peered inside the glass. Noticing she had a male teacher, she silently hoped that he would give her a break for being late. Her eyes swept over the students, surprised to see Peyton and Haley in there. Well, at least that was a good thing. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door before she opened it. All conversations stopped and a hush took over the room when she entered. The teacher rose from his seat and extended his hand towards her. "Well hello," he said, smiling broadly. "I'm Professor William Gavin. Are you a new student here?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm new," said Kaiana, returning his smile. "I just moved here."

"Alright, let me just take a look at your schedule here," he said. "I just need to check to see if you're in the right class." Kaiana handed him her schedule and he scanned it briefly before handing it back to her. "Alright you can take any one of those empty seats and I'll begin the lesson. Oh and class I hope you guys give…um how do pronounce your name?"

"It's Kai-a-na," she said, pronouncing her name slowly so that he could understand. A titter went over the class and she winced, realizing just how snotty she had sounded.

Professor Gavin only smiled and said, "Class please welcome Kai-a-na to Tree Hill and I hope that you guys will make her stay here enjoyable." He winked playfully at her.

She returned his smile, relieved that he hadn't taken what she said as an insult, instead slightly mocking how she had pronounced her name for him. Her eyes then searched the class for Haley and Peyton, relief coursing through her when she saw an empty seat right in front of Peyton. Peyton smiled and wave her over. Kaiana walked quickly over to the desk and placed her DKNY tote bag on the floor next to it. As soon as she sat down, Peyton leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "It's about time you made it to class slowpoke."

Kaiana turned around to smile at Peyton and then her eyes fell on Haley sitting on the other side of the room. She was sitting behind a blonde guy with shaggy hair who seemed to be engrossed in his textbook. Haley waved to her and smiled and she couldn't help but give her a little wave right back. Then Haley poked the guy in front of here and his head came up. Kaiana's eyes opened wide when she realized it was none other than Lucas.  
  
She made a conscious effort to get a hold of herself. So what if she had to see his face first thing in the morning. If she could ignore the heat that flows through her body whenever she looked at him, then she would be alright. She tore her eyes away from him and faced the front of the class before, their gazes could lock. She refused to get caught up in another staring match with him right there in class. All through class, however, she could feel his eyes on her. It was unnerving to say the least. She tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying, but it was difficult with thoughts of Lucas invading her brain. Then it just hit her. She was just trying to start over and begin a new life. The last thing she needed was to get involved with someone so quickly, especially if that someone could make her brain stop functioning with one look.

Before she knew it class was over and the teacher was giving out the assignment for the next day. She quickly copied it down in her notebook and reached down to retrieve her tote bag off the floor. Professor Gavin called her to his desk and gave her a copy of the English Textbook and a list of required reading for the semester. "I need to compose a list of makeup assignments to get you on track with all the other students," he said. "I don't want you to fall too far behind. For now you can read the first four chapters to start catching up." Kaiana nodded her head and thanked him. She headed for the door, hoping to at least catch up with Haley and Peyton. When she exited the classroom, she noticed Peyton, Haley, and Lucas were standing outside waiting for her.  
  
"Well, well, well," said Haley cheerfully. "Fancy meeting you here young lady. I guess we should have waited for you after all since you're in our class."  
  
"Young lady," Kaiana scoffed. "What are you like 70?"  
  
Haley gasped and held a hand to her chest in mock surprise. "Is that sarcasm I hear," Haley asked with a smirk. "I sure as hell hope so Kaiana, because then you would be no fun."  
  
"Yeah, glad to see a little spunk in you," said Peyton, cocking her head to the side. "I was beginning to think you were shy or something. I mean you barely talked this morning."  
  
Kaiana studied her to see if she was being bitchy. Seeing the mischievous gleam in Peyton's eye and her mouth twitching as if she was trying hard not to smile made her chuckle lightly. "Well to tell you the truth, I was shocked that you guys were so friendly," Kaiana remarked. "This is the first time I've ever…"and then she stopped in mid sentence, suddenly remembering that she didn't want to talk too much about her former life yet.  
  
"This is your first time what," Haley questioned.

"Nothing," Kaiana replied. "I was just going say this is the first time I've ever been to a new school where the students were so welcoming on my first day." She cringed inwardly knowing she was deliberately misleading them; making them think that she switched schools often. In truth this was the first time she had attended a regular school since she was twelve, but she failed to mention that she had been home schooled since then. She had switched tutors more than once, so she wasn't being completely dishonest. That's kind of the same thing as switching schools right. She let that thought give her some comfort, but it didn't give her much. She hated lying to these people who were being so nice to her, but she had to find out if they were being real with her or not.  
  
Peyton was giving me a strange look almost as if she suspected Kaiana was lying, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she nudged Kaiana in the arm playfully. "So...can I take a look at your schedule," Peyton asked.

"Sure," Kaiana responded, handing the schedule over to her.

"You got homeroom with Nathan and Tim next," Peyton stated, as she glanced at the schedule. "Have fun with those two," she said with a note of sarcasm in her tone. "Then you have, Geometry I, American History, Biology, and then finally Lunch. Oh cool! You have a free period right after lunch."  
  
"Hey let me see that," said Haley holding her hand out. Peyton handed her the schedule. "Well, little Ms. Computer Girl has two computer courses back to back…Web Design I and BASIC Programming," Haley said as she peered at the schedule and then glanced at Kaiana. "That must mean you chose Information Systems as your major."  
  
"Well yeah", said Kaiana, almost a little embarrassed. "I'm obsessed with computers. You should see the number of computer books I have at home. It's ridiculous."  
  
Kaiana looked over at Lucas, finding that he was regarding her with a look that appeared to mean he was impressed. He had been silently studying the conversation between the three girls, choosing not to say anything...well until now. "So we have another nerd on our hands," he said with a smile. "I thought Haley was our only one." Haley replied by punching Lucas in his arm. Kaiana couldn't help but laugh at their antics.  
  
"Anyway, I think it's cool that a girl is into computers like that," said Lucas, desperately trying to appear smooth. "You must be super smart."  
  
"Yeah, us girls are learning so much these days," said Peyton while she dramatically flipped her curls over her shoulder. "I mean once our little brains realized we could handle so much information."  
  
"After all girls, we have come such a long, long way with the help of our men," Kaiana added in a fake southern accent. "I don't know what we would do without all of their help." All three of the girls dissolved into a fit of giggles.  
  
Lucas actually blushed at that, looking down at the ground briefly. "Alright I'm sorry," he said returning his gaze to Kaiana, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I just meant it's cool that you're...you know into computers and stuff. Most girls aren't into technical stuff."  
  
"I know what you meant Lucas," said Kaiana, chuckling again softly. "We're just messing with you. After all, you're so easy." By the time she realized that last comment could have been taken as a sexual innuendo, it was too late to take back. All she could do was hope that he didn't take it that way_._ The heat that flared in his eyes as they turned an even darker blue told her that all her hope was in vain. Kaiana and Lucas continued to stare at each other until the bell rang for Homeroom snapping both of them out of the trance they seemed to be in.  
  
**Note: Also, if you're confused about the 'choosing a major" part then know I'm just basing Tree Hill on my own personal high school. We were able to choose various majors. The last three periods would be courses relating to that major. I chose Information Systems because it relates to what I majored in college, so I know more about the subject. I'm trying to develop the main character more and to show how her past will help her make good and bad decisions. There may be some drama, but I'm not sure where they are headed yet. Has anyone picked up on the chemistry between Kaiana and Lucas yet? All right, that's all for now. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

****

**Chapter 3: First Day at School Pt. 3**

****

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

Lucas broke out of his trance and began to staring at his feet, a slight tinge of pink rising yet again to his cheeks. Peyton and Haley sensed the awkward moment and tried to lighten the mood. "Well guys as much as I would love to stand here and watch you guys do a staring match, I have to get to homeroom and finish studying for a Math test," said Haley, first handing the schedule back to Kaiana and then giving Peyton a small tug on her arm to follow her. "See you guys at lunch ok." And with that Haley began walking away.

"Um…yeah, I have to get to homeroom too," said Peyton slowly. "So Kaiana…you going to eat with us at lunch or what? And don't think I just go around asking new students to eat with us because I don't. Consider yourself special."

"Uuh…sure," Kaiana said, nodding her head. "I'll look for you guys after 4th period and thanks for being so cool Peyton."

Peyton smiled and said, "No problem. I gotta go or I'll be late." She walked ahead to catch up with Haley and they both continued down the hall.

Then it was just Lucas and Kaiana standing there and the silence seemed to stretch on for a moment. Lucas was the first to break the silence by clearing his throat.

"Uuh…Nathan and I have a basketball meeting at the end of 4th period with our coach and but we'll head to the cafeteria right after. So we'll see you there?"

"Yeah...Lucas no problem. Now go before you're late for homeroom." As she watched him jog away from her for the second time she wondered if she was imagining the attraction between them. She had never felt so unsure of herself and shy around a guy like she felt around Lucas. To make it worse Peyton, Brooke, and Haley might just be picking up on the vibes between them, showing how obvious it was that she was drooling over Lucas too much. Kaiana cursed under her breath, taking a quick look at her schedule to search for her homeroom.

When, she found the classroom, she discovered that Peyton was right. Nathan was in her homeroom and he was sitting at the back of the class with some other guys who she assumed were also on the basketball team since they wore blue and white letter jackets like he did. Her thoughts strayed to Lucas again, as she contemplated why he didn't wear a letter jacket if he was on the basketball team too. She pushed that thought from her mind, annoyed with herself for thinking about Lucas again. Again it seemed like the classroom became very quiet when she began to introduce herself to the teacher…a Ms. Walker…who also proceeded to scan her class schedule. Ms. Walker then smiled at her and told her to take a seat.

Kaiana heard Nathan call her name and she glanced at him, smiling at the way he was frantically waving her over to sit at the desk next to him. "So how did you get so lucky to be in homeroom with me," he asked, his tone deliberately cocky.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know Nathan," she said sarcastically. "I guess the gods just wanted to bless me with your presence every morning."

"Woah…feisty," he said, laughing and giving her a hair a slight tug. "I like that. I was beginning to think you were shy." All through their banter, Nathan's fellow teammates were giving them questioning looks, all curious to find out who the girl was their teammate was chatting with.

"So Nathan are you gonna introduce me to the jocks are what," she asked, noticing their blatant stares. One of the guys snickered, while the rest of them continued to size her up as if she was some sort of entree.

Nathan laughed. "Sorry, guys this is Kaiana Morris. She just moved here to Tree Hill. Kaiana this short guy over here is Tim." Kaiana looked over at Tim and realized Nathan was right…he was short.

"Aren't you kind of short for basketball," she asked bluntly.

"Aren't you kind of tall for a girl", he countered with a smirk.

"Point taken," she said with a smile. Tim was kind of cute with dark hair like Nathan, but he had brown eyes instead of the ocean blue Nathan had.

"Alright, play nice kids," Nathan remarked sarcastically. "Anyway…continuing on with the introductions...the sleepy one there is Jake. The guy in the red shirt is Justin and the one sitting next to him is Allen." Jake was tall like Nathan, judging from the length of his legs and he had brown hair with a friendly pair of brown eyes to match.

"Welcome to Tree Hill and all of its drama," said Jake, his voice filled with sleep. Kaiana gave him a questioning glance and then looked at Nathan, who was rolling his eyes good-naturedly. She told Jake 'thanks' and then her gaze traveled to the other two...Justin and Allen.

Justin got up from his desk and walked over to her, leaning over to whisper if he could show her around town. "No thanks," Kaiana said politely. "I'm sure Haley or even Nathan could do that." Justin actually looked slightly shocked that she turned him down, shrugging his shoulders before returning to his seat.

"Well, it's your loss," said Justin arrogantly, winking at her with a grin. The guy named Allen seemed to be fighting back laughter at Justin's comment. Kaiana raised a brow. She couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. Instead of showing him how he irritated her though, she simply disregarded his comment and him by turning to Nathan. "So Nathan…take a look at my schedule and let me know if we have any classes together," she said cheerfully, icing Justin out completely.

Nathan's lips twitched as if he was fighting a smile. He noticed how Kaiana gave his teammate the brush off. "Sure let me take a look," he said taking the paper out of her hand. "Oh cool…we're in the same Math class. I hope you're good at Math cause I suck at it."

"I thought your _tutor girlfriend_ was helping you," Justin said snidely. Nathan's jaw clenched and his eyes got dark. Suddenly, Nathan jumped up from his seat and grabbed Justin by the shirt. He pushed him roughly up against the back wall of the room.

"Do you have a problem with Haley Justin," Nathan asked, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "Because if you do I could gladly fix it for you with my fist." The fury was coming off of Nathan in waves, who seemed to be quickly losing control. Kaiana realized if she didn't say something, he would get in trouble.

She turned to Jake and said, "Do something."

Jake just shrugged. "Sorry Kaiana, but the guy has it coming. If I get up from this chair it will only be to help Nathan beat his ass."

She looked over at Tim and Allen and saw they didn't seem to want to make a move to stop Nathan either. As a matter a of fact, they seemed amused at the whole scene. She growled under her breath, knowing that she would have to be the one to intervene.

"Alright Nathan...that's enough," she said. "Just let him go. He's not worth it." When Nathan didn't respond or let Justin go, she repeated, "He's not worth it."

Nathan slammed Justin against the wall one more time and then walked back to his seat. He still seemed angry but at least he had let Justin go. Kaiana glanced at the teacher, who seemed a little scared at what just took place. Kaiana couldn't blame her. Nathan was a scary guy when he was angry. "Nathan," said Ms. Walker sternly, her voice wobbling slightly. "I think that little act of aggression just now earned you an afternoon in detention." Nathan didn't say a word or even acknowledge the teacher with a glance. He just continued to stare at his desk with an angry glare.

Kaiana then looked at Justin, who was smiling at her, totally unfazed by what just happened. Justin fixed his clothes and sat back down in his seat. Kaiana gave him the nastiest look she could muster. The idiot just winked and blew her a kiss.

She turned to Nathan at that moment hoping to calm him down. "Hey Nathan…Nathan," she called, but he was apparently ignoring her. She tentatively reached over and touched his shoulder to get his attention. "Are you ok," she asked.

His face softened a fraction. "Yeah…I'm fine," he said, sighing deeply. "Sorry you had to see that."

She glanced at Justin again. "It's ok. I would gladly love to see you make that piece of turd shed blood, but this isn't the time or place." Justin looked like he was going to say something, but an elbow from Allen stopped him. Just then the bell rang and Nathan walked over to Ms. Walker's desk to collect his detention slip. Tim and Jake got their stuff together and left the classroom. Kaiana also got up from her seat and waited patiently for Ms. Walker to finish lecturing Nathan. She felt bad for him, because Ms. Walker seemed to be really laying into him now. Then, she felt someone move her hair off her shoulder. The hand ran across her shoulder in a caressing manner and she stiffened at the contact. She spun around to see who the owner of the hand was and an angry expression appeared on her face. "Just so you know," Justin told her in a menacing voice. "I don't appreciate your smart ass comments. _No_ one tries to embarrass me. You better be careful because you're playing with the big boys now." He placed his hand on her cheek and caressed that as well.

"Oh really," she replied, swatting his hand away she blatantly glanced at his crotch. "Your boy doesn't look that big to me." She then gave him the sweetest smile to annoy him further. Allen started laughing but abruptly stopped when Justin shot him an angry glare. Justin's eyes turned ice cold and he grabbed her arm roughly. Right then Nathan walked over to them. "Is there a problem here guys," Nathan asked, his voice dripping with contempt. Kaiana dragged her arm away from Justin's grasp and turned to Nathan. "Let's just get out of here Nathan," she said calmly. "We don't want to be late for Math."

Nathan glanced at her arm and then glared at Justin. "Is your arm ok, Kaiana," Nathan asked, keeping his gaze steady on Justin. She nodded. Nathan missed the motion, his gaze still riveted on Justin.

"Nathan come on let's go," she pleaded, pulling his arm to get his attention. She didn't want him to get into any more trouble and from the look on his face it seemed like he was about to get into some more. He glared at Justin for a second more and then turned to her. "Let's go," he said, as he took her arm gently and led her out the classroom. Tim and Jake were waiting for them outside the door.

"Nathan, everything alright man," Tim asked, noting the expression on Nathan's face.

"Yeah, man...I just got detention," Nathan answered. "That ain't nothing new right."

"Look I know the guy can be an ass, but don't let him get to you," said Jake. "You let him win when he riles you up like that."

"Yeah man…I know, but when you talk about Haley that's just crossing the line," said Nathan. "I'm not going to let anyone talk about my girl like that. Plus, you guys should have seen how he grabbed Kaiana's arm." Tim and Jake immediately looked at her for an explanation. She explained to them what happened, leaving out the part about how Justin had touched her hair and her face. She couldn't leave out the jibe she had made at Justin's nether regions, which earned her a laugh from Tim. Jake, on the other hand, was nowhere near amused.

"I can't believe that ass wipe grabbed you," Jake said angrily. It felt great that Jake was concerned about her, but she didn't need another angry jock on her hands. She did her best to reassure him that Justin didn't really hurt her and that Nathan had stopped him from doing anything further. Jake relaxed, feeling the tension leave his body. He himself had a daughter, and he would be damned if he would let any guy treat a female like that. Then the door opened and Justin and Allen walked out of the classroom, continuing down the hall without giving any of them a backward glance.

Nathan glared at their retreating backs before shaking his head. "Whatever man," said Nathan. "The guy is a dick. I don't know why we're wasting energy even talking about him right now. Come on Kaiana. Let's get to Math. Maybe you can actually be on time for this class." Nathan adjusted his backpack over his shoulder and started down the hallway, motioning for Kaiana to follow him.

Kaiana waved goodbye to Jake and Tim and followed Nathan down the hallway. "So...what's that guy's deal anyway," she asked. "Is he always such a _pleasant _person?"

Nathan gave her a confused look. "Who are we talking about," he asked.

Kaiana rolled her eyes. "Justin…the idiot we were just talking about," she said slowly, as if Nathan was retarded.

Nathan laughed and nudged her back. "Oh…him," he replied, understanding dawning in his eyes. "If _pleasant person_ really stands for asshole, then yeah."

Kaiana giggled. She couldn't believe the day she was having and it was barely 10:00 am. "Well I hope there is less excitement in Math," she said hopefully.

"Don't worry Kaiana," Nathan said dryly. "You won't have to worry about _any_ excitement when it comes to Math class." Kaiana started giggling again and slung her arm through Nathan's as they continued down the hall to their class.

**Note: Ok I hope you guys like the fact that I added that Justin character. I added him and Allen because I plan for them to stir up trouble later on in the story. I expected to reach the cafeteria scene already, but I got caught up in this chapter. Next chapter will be the cafeteria scene and hopefully the rest of the day. Please review guys. It makes it so much easier to crank out a chapter knowing people are reading! Thanks again for all the reviews.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: First Day at School Pt. 4**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

Kaiana drummed her fingers on her notebook, feeling her mind begin to wander. Her brain was refusing to pay attention to the teacher. Nathan was absolutely right. Definitely no excitement here in Math…or shall we say Geometry I. She sneaked a glance at Nathan, who was sitting next to her, not surprised to see he appeared just as bored as she was. Apparently staring at the blank page on his notebook seemed to be more interesting than paying attention to the teacher. She looked at her watch and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was almost time for class to be over. Then the bell was ringing and it was time to head to American History. She and Nathan said their goodbyes and then she was off to find her History class.

American History wasn't that bad because she had Jake to keep her company. He genuinely seemed like a nice guy and Kaiana appreciated that. Actually, everyone seemed pretty cool…everyone except Justin and Allen. Now those guys reminded her of the spoiled jerks she met when she had been apart of the modeling industry. The bell rung thankfully, pushing both Justin and Allen out of her head. She got up and quickly gathered her stuff to head to her next class, waving goodbye to Jake first before continuing down the hall. Her next class, Biology, was the only class for the morning where she had felt completely alone. The teacher seemed ok…a Dr. Brown…and at least there didn't seem to be any jerks in this class. The students only stared at her for a moment because she was new, but then they soon lost disinterest.

She had actually managed to take some actual notes in this class. The only thing she had written down from Geometry and American History were the homework assignments that were due on Thursday. At least she had two days to finish them. Thankfully, Biology was finally over and it was time for lunch. She realized that she was starving. She had been too nervous about her first day at school to eat breakfast. She asked one of the students in the hall to direct her to the cafeteria and the girl was actually nice enough to show her the way. When they got to the cafeteria Kaiana thanked her and the girl walked away. She started scanning the cafeteria to try to find one of her new friends, but it was difficult. The cafeteria was loud and filled with teenagers, groups and cliques scattered about. Then her eyes caught sight of some guys with letter jackets sitting on top one of the tables. As she got closer, she realized it was Nathan, Jake, Tim, and Lucas.

Jake was the first person to see her and he waved her over. She began making her way over to them weaving her way through the tables when she felt someone brush up on her from behind. A familiar voice whispered, "Hi sweetness" in her ear. When she turned around, she saw Justin walking backwards away from her with that same sickening smile on his face, waving his hand at her playfully. She rolled her eyes, brushing off her irritation at Justin, and continued walking over to Nathan and Lucas. When she finally got to their table, Lucas got up so that she could sit on the bench before he sat back down again on the top of the table, his feet resting on the bench. She glanced up at him to tell him thanks, but his gaze seemed to be riveted on someone. Kaiana followed his gaze and realized he was looking at Justin. Justin, Allen, and some other guys from the basketball team were sitting at a table on the other side of the cafeteria. Lucas raised an eyebrow in question because Justin was staring over at their table. Well, actually he was staring at her. Kaiana groaned softly, thinking to herself why this guy couldn't just give it rest. This was another example of how her mouth got her into drama.__

Nathan noticed Justin staring at her too and his face hardened. "I can't believe this guy," said Nathan, his voice tinged with anger. "He has the nerve to be staring at you after the stuff he pulled in Math today." Kaiana thought that Nathan's anger would have cooled down by now, but she was obviously wrong, as she took note of the disgusted look he was sending Justin's way. Lucas turned a questioning glance towards her. He obviously wanted to know what Nathan was talking about. She hesitated to tell Lucas, because she didn't know how he would react. He seemed pretty close with Haley and she didn't think he would appreciate anyone making snide comments about her. As a matter of fact, she remembered Lucas saying something about him being Haley's best friend earlier this morning. Plus, she didn't feel like rehashing the whole situation with Justin grabbing her arm and the stupid stuff he had said to her. Before she could make a decision whether to tell him or not, Tim blurted it out.

"Man...Lucas you should have been there," said Tim, the excitement in his voice apparent. "Your _brother_ here was about to pummel Justin today in homeroom. I thought Nathan was gonna explode!" Kaiana looked at Nathan and then Lucas. _Brothers_... she didn't know they were brothers. They never said anything, plus they look nothing alike_._

Nathan saw the surprise on Kaiana's face. "We're…uuh…sort of half brothers," he said, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. "We have the same father." Lucas's face darkened for a second but then it was gone.

Of course, being the nosy person she was she had to ask more questions. "So do you guys live together too," she asked, glancing from one to the other.

"No," said Lucas emphatically. "I live with my mom and Nathan lives with _him_. She noticed he spat out the word "_him"._ Nathan stiffened at Lucas's comment, but he said nothing. Kaiana instantly felt sorry for pushing the issue, because now the air was thick with tension.

She looked over at Jake for help and he offered her a small smile. "So Kaiana," said Jake, rubbing his hands nervously on his thighs. "Are you planning to attend any of our games? Are you even into basketball?"

She smiled at him in thanks for changing the subject. "I don't know...maybe. I'm not that into sports you know, but I may go to some games...you know...when I don't have anything better to do."

"Well, damn queen bee. We hope you can grace us with your presence," said Nathan sarcastically. He was smiling now and the stiffness had left his body. She snuck a glance at Lucas and found he also was wearing a small smile. She breathed a small sigh of relief at that. Lucas was so much sexier when he was smiling. As soon as that thought entered her mind, she closed her eyes in frustration. She couldn't seem to stop thinking those things about Lucas...not even for a second. Lucas noticed the strange look on her face and asked if she was ok. All she could do was stare at him like a dummy. She caught herself a moment later though and managed to mumble "yeah". Jake snorted and Kaiana looked at him. He looked at Lucas and then her, before sending her a wink. Great…she was doing such a good job of hiding her attraction to Lucas. Not.__

Just then someone called out Nathan's name and Kaiana saw Haley, Peyton, and Brooke heading their way. "Hey handsome," said Haley after she kissed Nathan on the cheek. Nathan's mood changed from calm to almost giddy instantly. He seemed so in love with Haley that he could barely see straight. Kaiana wished she could find someone who made her feel like that and who would look at her the way Nathan was looking at Haley now.

Brooke nudged Kaiana, breaking her out of her thoughts. "So chica how is your first day going so far," she asked. "I see you've met some more of our gorgeous men here. You see anything you like?" At Brooke's comment, Haley and Peyton started laughing. Kaiana couldn't help but smile herself.

"Actually Brooke I was beginning to wonder if it's maybe something in the water here or if you guys have a machine that just cranks out hot guys," Kaiana replied, chuckling softly, her eyes moving from guy to guy. Brooke gave her a cheeky smile and flipped her brown hair over her shoulder.

She then leaned over and whispered in Kaiana's ear, "Yeah the guys here are hot…especially the blonde ones". Kaiana blushed because she realized Brooke was making a reference to Lucas. Brooke nudged her and started giggling.

"Oh come on Brooke," said Peyton, rolling her eyes with a small smile on her face. "Leave the poor girl alone. We should have warned you about her. Sorry Kaiana, but we can't control her."

Yeah," Haley said. "Brooke has a certain way with people. We're not sure if it's good way though."

"You're just jealous because I'm so charming and you're not" said Brooke, raising her eyebrows flirtatiously.

"Yeah Brooke," said Haley sarcastically. "That's what it is." And then they both dissolved into giggles. Kaiana looked over at Peyton to see what she would add, but she was too busy staring at Jake. Jake also seemed to be staring right back at her. _Well, it seems I'm not the only one with a thing for someone on the team. _She poked Peyton to get her attention, who promptly blushed when she realized she had been caught staring at Jake. She changed the subject by asking Kaiana how her classes were.

"They were ok…a little boring, but everything went fine," Kaiana said nonchalantly.

"Well, not everything," said Tim, grinning widely. Kaiana gave him a look, trying to convey to him to shut up. She was happy that they were off _that_ subject and he was bringing it up again.

"Wait a minute," said Lucas. "That's right. You said something happened in homeroom today. What went down?" Kaiana looked over at Nathan to see if he wanted to tell Lucas or not.

Nathan sighed loudly. "Justin said something stupid today and I flipped out on him," he said looking over at his brother. "I earned an afternoon in detention for it."

Haley gave Nathan a concerned look and hugged him. "What did he say Nathan," she asked. "It must have been bad, because you usually have more tolerance for Justin than that. I mean I know he's an ass and everything, but---"

"Look, he said something about you ok," said Nathan, cutting Haley off abruptly. "He can talk about me all he wants, but I won't let him get away with talking smack about you."

"Thanks for defending me," Haley said, kissing him softly on the lips. "But you know that he likes trying to get a rise out of you."

"That's what I said," Jake piped up. "The guy is prick who's just jealous of Nathan. He knows that he'll never be as good of a player as Nathan or Lucas for that matter. But I kinda understand why Nathan flipped out. I mean he even tried to start something with Kaiana." At that Lucas sat straight up, his eyes narrowing.

Brooke's face turned serious as she stared down at Kaiana. "Are you alright," she asked. "What did he do to you? Tell me and I'll kick his butt for ya."

"Well he kinda asked to show me around town and I turned him down," said Kaiana. "Let's just say he wasn't too happy about that. Then when we were about to leave class, he said some more stupid stuff, but that's it." She hoped that explanation would appease everyone, but wouldn't you know Tim just had to keep it going.

"Apparently he grabbed her arm too," said Tim. "At least that's what Nathan told me and Jake. We had already left class so we didn't see it."

Lucas got up with his hands clenched at his sides. Kaiana followed his gaze over to where Justin and Allen were sitting. He looked like he was ready to kill, so she reached over and put a hand on his arm. "It's alright Lucas," she said. "He didn't hurt me. He wouldn't have done anything to me with Nathan right there so relax ok." Lucas ignored her and began walking over to where Justin and Allen were sitting. Kaiana quickly got up from the bench and jogged after him, reaching out and grabbing his hand to stop him. "Lucas…please," she pleaded. "Don't make a scene ok. Besides, I'm fine…see." She gave him a beaming smile to further reassure him. He sent another murderous glance at Justin's table. "Come one Lucas…I'm fine," she said. Lucas looked at her then and felt his anger melt away. Then he surprised both himself and Kaiana by entwining his fingers with hers. He stared into her eyes, momentarily forgetting about Justin. Kaiana looked down at their hands and swore her heart stopped for a second. She gave his hand a slight tug and led him back over to their table. The both of them resumed their seats, except Lucas sat down on the bench next to her instead of on the table.

"Look man," said Nathan. "He ain't worth it. Besides, he knows we would deal with him if he tried to hurt one of the girls." Kaiana glanced over at Justin and he was still giving her that annoying smile. Suddenly, she wasn't too sure if what Nathan said was true.

**Note: Alright guys please review. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: First Day at School Pt. 5**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

Everyone had finally settled down to eat lunch and for that Kaiana was extremely relieved. After all, a girl can only take so much excitement in one day and the day wasn't even over yet. She found out during conversation that Tuesday was the only day that they would eat the cafeteria food because that was the day the school served pizza and burgers. Everyone usually brought his or her lunch on the other days since the school food basically sucked. After some indecision, everyone just settled on getting pizza and sodas. Of course being new, the conversation seemed to yet again center on 'the new girl'.

"So Kaiana, what did you choose as your major," Brooke asked.

Before she could answer, Haley replied, "Little Ms. Computer Girl here majored in Information Systems. I hope that means she'll be able to fix my computer when it crashes."

"I'll have to think long and hard about that," said Kaiana playfully. "Maybe I might decide to not help you on that."

"So in other words, we have another nerd on our hands," said Nathan with a grin.

"Nerd," Kaiana responded with a laugh. "What…do you and Lucas share a brain or something? He said the same thing this morning."

"Ooh," said Tim as he starting laughing. "Nice burn. I like her. Hey Nate can we keep her?"

"Can you keep her," Haley asked in mock indignation. "The girl is not a dog! But to answer your question, yes we can keep her."

Kaiana rolled her eyes. "Thanks Haley".

Haley smiled devilishly. "Anytime," she replied.

"Oh Kaiana I almost forgot," Brooke exclaimed. "The school is forming a new dance squad to perform at games along with the cheerleaders and I was wondering if you felt like maybe trying out for it."

"Wait, try out for a dance squad," Kaiana asked slowly. She regarded Brooke carefully, raising an eyebrow in speculation. "How do you even know if can dance?"

"I-I do-don't know," Brooke stuttered. "I'm not sure if you can dance or not. I just thought maybe you would think it would be fun or something. Plus, you'll be able to meet new people and you can always use it as something to put on your college applications for extra curricular activities."

Brooke had that "deer caught in headlights" look on her face. Kaiana narrowed her eyes in suspicion at her, but decided to let it go for now. Her suspicions were growing that Brooke knew exactly who she was. Her biography and entire life was often displayed in various magazines. It wouldn't have surprised her if Brooke had read all about her. What did surprise her was that no one else seemed to recognize her. She would have to wait until later to have a private conversation with Brooke. She wanted to stay a nobody for a little while longer, because she was enjoying being a normal teenager. Hopefully, Brooke would understand that and keep her secret, granted that she even knew her secret in the first place. But maybe Brooke had a point. Joining this dance squad could be a way to make some more friends and interact with other people.

"Ok, I'll think about it," said Kaiana, giving a small smile. "When are the tryouts anyway?"

"They're on Friday," Peyton told her. "You had better think fast, because you only have between now and Friday to come up with an original routine for auditions. I think the tryouts start at 3:30 in the gym…right Brooke."

"Yeah," Brooke answered cheerfully. "They're holding auditions right before the guys start basketball practice. Please, say you'll come. It will be _so_ cool to have you on the dance squad! You'll be able to go on trips with me and Peyton when the basketball team plays at schools out of town! Come on Kaiana please say yes."

"Oh we're not having tryouts today," Tim said, his mouth full of food. "Coach went home sick with the flu."

Jake looked at him with disgust. "Dude, please don't eat with your mouth full," he said, cringing outwardly at the sight of food falling out of Tim's mouth.

"Yes mom," Tim joked. "So anyways…I think you should try out for this dance squad Kaiana. I would love to see you in those cute little outfits I'm sure they're going to make you wear." Tim winked at her, but the loud burp that escaped his lips ruined his flirting. He mumbled a 'sorry' to everyone.

"Are you and Peyton trying out for this dance squad too," Kaiana asked, ignoring Tim for the moment.

Peyton snorted. "Nah not me," she said, rolling her eyes. "Being on the cheerleading squad is enough _rah rah_ for me."

Brooke gave Peyton a glare. "Ignore her Kaiana," she said forcefully. "Come on it will be fun! Both Peyton and I are already on the cheerleading squad so we'll be right there at auditions to cheer you on."

Kaiana raked a hand through her hair, sighing heavily. "All right Brooke, I'll try out," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Like you said it might be fun." Brooke let loose a squeal of delight and clapped her hands.

"Oh no," Haley said dramatically. "They've lured her to the dark side. Kaiana you do realize you'll have to be shaking your thang in tiny little outfits in front of a lot of people right?"

"Don't mind Haley," Brooke said, shooting Haley a dirty look. "I haven't been able to convince her to try out for cheerleading yet, but I'm wearing her down."

"There's not a chance in hell that I will ever tryout for cheerleading," said Haley forcefully. "I'd rather poke my own eyes out. Besides I'm not that flexible to do those splits and stuff."

Nathan gave Haley a saucy look. "Well I can always help you work on your flexibility," he told her, slinging his arm around her waist.

Haley elbowed Nathan in his side and he responded with a small grunt of pain. "You're such a pervert," she said with a smile.

"Yeah I know," said Nathan. "And knowing that, you still love me." He then leaned over and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Unfortunately," Haley mumbled.

"Hey…I heard that," said Nathan, in mock hurt. Kaiana turned her head to the side to look at Lucas, just to find that he was already looking at her rather intensely. He hadn't said much during the whole conversation. He only interjected every now and again with a small chuckle. But right now he was giving her a look that was making her very nervous.

The rest of the lunchtime was spent just talking about various non-important topics. Before we knew it the bell was ringing signaling the end of our lunch hour. Everyone got up, gathered their stuff together, and departed to go to 6th period. Before Haley left she gave her cell phone number to Kaiana and offered to give her the notes for English. She also invited her to some sort of café, where they would supposedly go over the notes. Kaiana thanked her and told her that she would meet her out front after school.

After everyone left, Kaiana made her way back outside since she had a free period. She remembered seeing some benches out there and figured she could sit there and read until her next class. She found an empty bench and sat down, pulling out her History textbook. She tried to focus on what she was reading, but soon realized she was reading the same page over and over. She knew why she couldn't concentrate. It was because of _him._ She had never had such an instant reaction to a guy before and it scared her. Lucas seemed to be interested in her as well. At least she thought he was. She could be jumping the gun here, but the signals he was sending seemed clear to her. What she was sure of was that getting involved in a relationship right now was not a good idea.

She was not completely sure misleading him and the others was a good idea either. She hated lying to them, but it was the only way she could test the waters. She needed to find out if they could like her for her, instead of liking her for what she could buy them. Not to mention, it was too early for her to be starting _that kind_ of a relationship with a guy. There were others things she had to focus on, like getting her phone and cable turned on for instance. She also had a couple more modeling jobs to do to fulfill her contract. She needed to get some more stuff to finish furnishing her house. There were too many other things to consider and take care of. Getting involved with Lucas was not one of them.

What about her living situation? What if they find out about that? How was she going to explain the absence of her parents? She wondered if Brooke knew that her parents were dead. It had been printed in some newspapers and magazines so she might have already found out. She still didn't understand why no one had recognized her. She knew that her hair was jet black when she was into modeling, dyed that way to make her look slightly older. She also wore a lot more makeup that made her appear dramatic and sophisticated, a far cry from the much simpler makeup she was wearing now. Her makeup was suited for a 17-year-old girl. That could be it. Maybe she looked so different now that they didn't know who she was. All she could do was hope it stayed that way for a little longer. Let's see how long this façade can last.

**Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Karen's Café Pt. 1**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

Thank god this day was finally over. Technically, the day wasn't quite over, because she still had to meet Haley after school to get those notes for English. This day had been so overwhelming, but she would have to hang in there for a couple more hours. Kaiana stopped at her locker briefly to put back some of her books. She figured after the day she had, she could only manage to focus on History and English tonight. Geometry would have to wait until tomorrow night. Maybe she should try to get a tutor or something since Math was her mortal enemy. She shut and locked her locker, sighing deeply as she felt the weariness creeping in. Just thinking about all the drama that went down today exhausted her even more. It was great that she had made some new friends, but she also seemed to gain two thorns in her side. She didn't know what the deal was with Justin and Allen. Justin really gave her the creeps the way he looked at her and Allen just seemed to kiss Justin's ass. Anyway you put it; they were definitely two people who she intended to stay away from whenever she could help it. She thanked her lucky stars that she only had Homeroom with those idiots.

She shook her head slightly, forcing Allen and Justin out of my mind as she headed out the main doors with the only intention being getting to her truck. When she got to her truck (SUV), she flung her bag in the back seat and placed her cell phone in the charger. She flopped down wearily on the driver's side and laid her head against the seat, closing her eyes for a moment to relax. Her thoughts strayed to Lucas. He was _hot_ with a capital H. He affected her so much that he had her behaving like a lovesick puppy. She felt a warm feeling engulf her body when she remembered how he tried to defend her in the cafeteria. At the same time, she didn't want him to get into trouble because of her. Nathan already earned detention for allowing Justin to get to him. She didn't want that to happen to Lucas.

Kaiana finally opened her eyes just in time to see Haley, Brooke, and Peyton coming out the main doors. She stuck her head out the window and called Haley's name to get her attention. Haley smiled as she noticed Kaiana waving frantically at her and started making her way towards the parking lot with Brooke and Peyton in tow. When they finally got to Kaiana's truck, Brooke whistled appreciatively as her gaze wandered over the vehicle.

"Kick ass truck you got here girl," said Brooke, tilting her head to the side. "Is it yours?"

"Yeah, it's mine...at least the last time I checked," Kaiana remarked. Brooke smirked and continued walking around the truck, taking in the smooth black surface free of scratches.

Haley's eyes wandered over the truck and nodded in agreement. "It's really nice," she said. "Wish I had one."

Brooke came back around to stand next to Haley, placing an arm around her shoulder. "Why don't you get you rich boyfriend to buy you one," she asked, winking evilly.

Haley laughed. "Yeah right," she said. "It's not his money. It's his father's money and we already know I'm not exactly _his_ favorite person."

Kaiana glanced at Peyton who had been standing there appearing to be off in another world. "Hey Peyton...are you alright," Kaiana asked. Peyton didn't answer. She didn't even give a sign that she heard the question.

Brooke rolled her eyes and elbowed the blonde in her arm. "Wha...what Brooke," said Peyton, sounding annoyed. "Damn, you got a hard elbow. What's your deal?"

Brooke shook her head. "Peyton if you were listening you would have realized Kaiana was asking you a question," said Brooke, elbowing Peyton again for good measure.

Peyton glanced down at her feet and then gave Kaiana an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Kaiana," she said, running her hand through her curly hair. "I'm just a little out of it right now. I've got some stuff on my mind."

"More like some Jake on your mind," Brooke muttered. Peyton gave her an evil glare, but Brooke simply smiled. "Aww come on Peyton," said Brooke, throwing an arm around her friend's waist. "I'm just messing with you. Lighten up girl."

"Yeah I know," said Peyton quietly. "So...Kaiana what were you asking me before?"

Kaiana stared at Peyton, trying to decide if she really wanted to repeat the question or not. She didn't want Peyton to think that she was prying into her life. On the other hand, Peyton did look like she needed to talk. Kaiana shook her head and shrugged. "It's not important, but Peyton...if you wanna talk later or just chill out you can come by my house and...I don't know...hang out. I mean...if you want too."

"Hey, how come only she gets the invite," Haley asked, nudging Peyton in her side, causing a small smile to appear on her friend's face.

"Oh sorry," Kaiana said blushing slightly. "You guys can come over too...if you want."

Peyton adjusted her book bag on her shoulder. "No I'm fine…I'm just going to chill out at home." she said quickly, ignoring the concerned looks on their faces. "Look I gotta go. I'll see you guys tomorrow at school." Peyton smiled at them one more time and then walked away. Then suddenly Peyton turned back around. "Hey…Kaiana," she called.

"Yeah."

"Thanks," Peyton said simply. "I just might take you up on that offer."

"Yeah sure...no problem," Kaiana replied. They all waved goodbye to Peyton as she took off again to her car.

"Uh...Brooke," Haley said softly. "You do realize that Peyton is blowing off cheerleading practice right? Is she going go be okay at home all alone? Do you think we should have made her talk to us about what's bothering her?"

Brooke sighed as she watched Peyton pull out of the parking lot. "Haley, we already know what's bothering her. When she's ready she'll come to us."

Kaiana pretended to be very interested in looking at the school campus so that it wouldn't seem as if she was paying attention to the conversation. She had her suspicions about what could possibly be bothering Peyton. She had seen the way Peyton and Jake looked at each other. They're so obviously into each other, but the question is why they haven't done something about it. Jake could have a girlfriend already. Come to think of it, Peyton may already be involved with someone too. Maybe that was the reason…too much drama.

"Hey are you ready to go the Cafe," Haley asked, breaking Kaiana out of her thoughts. "You're gonna love this place. The lady who owns it is super nice and I've known her practically all my life. When I go on break, we can go over the notes and plus I can probably get her to give you some free coffee and pastries."

"Sure I'm ready when," Kaiana trailed off upon seeing Lucas coming through the main doors. Every coherent thought she had ceased immediately when she saw him. He was looking around as if he was searching for someone. Haley and Brooke followed her gaze and secretly smiled at each other. Brooke called out to Lucas and waved him over. He smiled when he saw them and began making his way over to them. Kaiana looked over at Brooke to find her smiling mischievously. _What was Brooke up to now?_ It was too late to find out, because Lucas had already reached the truck. He whistled and ran his hands along the surface of the truck, obviously admiring it.

"Sweet ride, is it yours," said Lucas, catching her eyes finally.

"Yeah it's mine," Kaiana responded. "It was a present for moving here."

Lucas's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Damn…if I could get a new car for moving I would beg my mom to move right now!"

"Brooke slapped Lucas on his arm playfully. "Now you know you could never leave us," she said, winking at him flirtatiously. "You would miss us to much."

Lucas muttered "not that much" as he rubbed his side.

"Oh stop pretending like that actually hurt you big baby," said Haley, letting out a small laugh. "He's such a little actor."

"Emphasis on the _little_," said Brooke, raising a brow. Lucas glared at Brooke, while Haley burst out laughing which in turn earned her a similar glare from Lucas. Kaiana placed a hand over her mouth as she fought the smile she felt forming. Brooke and Haley were making it hard. Finally, a small giggle escaped her lips, which made Lucas turn his eyes to her. The glare dropped abruptly from his face.

"Trust me Kaina, I'm anything but little," Lucas said softly while he continued to give her that intense stare of his that made her fidget. The smile that was once on her lips fell away as she got caught up in his blue eyes. It was amazing how this man could make her forget everything with just one look.

Brooke cleared her throat. Kaiana jumped a little, blushing at being caught staring at Lucas yet again like some 'starry-eyed' little girl.

"Much as I would love to see you too fawn all over each other, I have a practice to get to," said Brooke, looking from Lucas to Kaiana.

"Later guys," she said as she pinched Lucas's cheek, which was now a soft pink, before she walked away.

"Bye to you too Brooke," Haley said sarcastically. Brooke replied with a slight wave as she continued to walk across the campus.

"I hate to break you guys up from your staring match too, but Kaiana and I have somewhere to be," said Haley. "Besides, Lucas don't you have to go to the weight room and work out the last of your brain cells?"

"Ooh...straight for the heart," said Lucas in mock pain as he held a hand to his chest. "Actually smart ass, I have to stop by Uncle Keith's for a while."

"What…no basketball practice today," Haley asked.

"No remember Tim said it at lunch. When we had our meeting today, Whitey canceled practice. He went home sick with the flu."

"I try not to pay attention to anything Tim says," said Haley dryly. "I hope Whitey will be okay. I guess you guys have some free time on your hands till he gets better huh?"

"Yeah, I guess we'll have to find something else to do with our time, but Whitey will be back in no time. The old man is tough. I'm sure he can survive a little flu. I guess it's a good thing he's sick otherwise he would tear Nathan a new one for getting detention!" Lucas chuckled. It seemed Nathan always found a way to get the Coach angry with him. Nathan never failed to make Whitey scream at him at least once a week. Lucas looked down at his watch and his eyes widened.

"Well, anyway I'll let you guys go," Lucas said as he glanced at Kaiana again. "I'll talk to you later Hales...and Kaiana I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Actually you may see her much sooner than you think," said Haley under her breath. Kaiana turned shocked eyes to Haley. _What did Haley mean by that?_ Haley, however, was doing a great job at averting her eyes.

"O-kay," said Lucas slowly. "Uum...anyway I have to go. Later," he said as he jogged away towards his truck. Kaiana watched Haley as she opened the passenger side door and climbed in. She threw her book bag in the back seat and put on her seatbelt. All the while, Kaiana continued to give her a look of curiosity, noticing that Haley was still avoiding her eyes.

"Haley...Haley...Hey," she said, snapped her fingers in Haley's face. "Anything you want to tell me? You're acting kind of...I don't know...weird."

Haley giggled nervously and tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. "Everything is fine Kaina, now let's go or you'll make me late for work." Kaiana watched her closely for a couple more seconds, before turning the key in the ignition. She knew Haley was up to something, but she didn't know what. "Lead the way...Haley," she said finally, pulling her eyes away from her new friend as she pulled out of the parking lot.

**Please Review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Karen's Café Pt. 2**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

"Alright Kaiana, this is the place," Haley said as they parked next to the curb. The girls gathered their stuff and locked the car. Kaiana smiled to herself as she followed Haley into a quaint little coffee place called Karen's Café. Apparently, this was Haley's place of employment where she 'supposedly' could get her some free coffee. Coffee is definitely something she could use right now as a quick pick me up. Haley led Kaiana over to a table over by the window and instructed her to put her stuff down. Haley then went behind the counter and proceeded to put on an apron. She waved Kaiana over to sit on one of the stools at the counter.

"Come on over here," she said. "There's someone I want you to meet." Kaiana placed her tote bag and books on the table and headed towards the counter. Her eyes glanced around the room to see who Haley was talking about. As far as she could see, Haley was the only person standing behind the counter.

"Haley, if you're gonna introduce me to your invisible friend...well you don't have too," Kaiana said in a teasing voice.

Haley rolled her eyes and chuckled. "No smart ass, I was just going to introduce you to my boss...and...well she's my friend too. I've known her like my whole life." Haley yelled out 'Karen'. When no one appeared, Haley went further into the back towards where Kaiana assumed was the kitchen area. She came back out to the counter with a pretty dark haired lady who was also wearing an apron and a smile.

"Kaiana this is Karen Roe...the greatest boss in the world," said Haley with a beaming smile.

Karen laughed and shook her head. "Thanks for the great introduction," said Karen. "Haley is being a little over dramatic because she wants this Friday off." Karen rolled her eyes good naturedly as Haley wore a slightly guilty look. "Stop pouting," Karen said. "Alright, you can have Friday off. You know that I was going to say yes anyway."

Haley clapped her hands together and gave Karen a hug, pulling back wearing a smile wide enough to split her face. "I'll make it up to you Karen," Haley said quickly. "Oh I know you will" Karen replied.

"So...Kaiana are you new in town," Karen asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you around before."

Kaiana smiled and nodded, silently wondering how many times she would hear that question today. "I've only been here a couple days," she said. "Today was my first day at school."

"_Really_," Karen said. "How was it?"

Kaiana hesitated in answering. She noticed Karen's expression showed that she was concerned. "No, no...it was ok," Kaiana rushed on. "I had a couple weird experiences, but nothing major. It was cool...really".

Karen looked at her for a moment before turning to grab a cup off one of the shelves. "So do you want regular hot coffee, flavored hot coffee, iced latte, or a frappucino."

Kaiana breathed a small sigh of relief, glad that the subject was dropped. No way was she ready to re-hash the drama filled first day of school with an adult. "Uum...a frappuncio would be great," she replied happily. "What flavors do you have?"

"We have mocha blend, vanilla swirl, chocolate brownie, and malt mocha," said Karen, counting them off on her fingers.

Kaiana's face scrunched up in thought as she tried to choose. "Uuh...how about a mocha blend," she said finally. "That's sounds pretty good. Actually, any of the flavors would be great. I just need some caffeine in my system." Karen smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Well I'm glad that you've seemed to make friends with Haley," said Karen, glancing fondly at the young girl she had known nearly forever. "She's a great girl...a brat...but still great." Haley snorted and stuck her tongue out at Karen as she wiped down the counter. Kaiana couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her face. It was obvious they had a great relationship. Just seeing the two of them together made her think of her own mom, which caused a frown to appear on her face. Haley noticed and asked if she was ok.

Kaiana pulled herself together and pushed the negative thoughts away. Now was not the time to go all dismal and depressed. She was starting a new life now and had just made new friends. There was no reason to spoil it by killing the mood with her depressive past. "No Haley I'm cool," she said, faking cheeriness. "It's just a lot to take it in you know...the move...new school. It's just been a long day. " Karen and Haley exchanged a look that spoke volumes. Then Karen nodded and smiled at Kaiana once more before heading towards the back. That must have been a secret code for 'leave us alone for a minute so that I can find out what's wrong with her'.

Haley frowned. "Look, if you want to go home and lie down for a while it would be fine," she said. "You can take a nap and we can meet a little later or even tomorrow morning before school...if you want."

Kaiana shook her head in refusal. "No I want to do this now. I still have to read up on something else later. All I need is a little caffeine to gear me up and I'll be fine."

"Alright, I'll make that frappucino for you in a minute," Haley said. "So do you want something to eat," she asked. At her question, Kaiana's eyes strayed to the far end of the counter where some very delicious looking pastries sat atop glass trays. Her mouth watered slightly at the sight. "I guess I'll have one of those croissants," she said.

Haley nodded and said 'ok'. "Do you want some cheddar cheese melted in between," she asked.

"Oh god yes," Kaiana replied enthusiastically. Haley laughed at her eager response, causing Kaiana to blush. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. She had always had a healthy appetite and thanked God everyday for the metabolism that kept her slim.

Her fingers tapped the counter absentmindedly, while Haley prepared her meal, quietly taking in her surroundings. The café was pretty cool actually. It had a homey, comfortable feel to it. It made you feel like you could hang out there forever, even if it was your first visit. Kaiana especially love the counter with the old fashioned stools that looked similar to the ones in those old movies. You could just happily plop your butt on a stool, order a burger and fries, and just sit to eat your meal. No one would say anything if you didn't use a fork. You didn't have to fold some expensive napkin over your lap while sitting prim and proper while pretending to enjoy eating some sort of exotic dish like snails or octopus. It was just simply eating a 'fast food' meal in an environment that made you feel comfortable. It was what she had craved for so long...to finally be apart of the real world...where people really mattered to each other. She had finally escaped that superficial world of modeling.

Haley finally placed a rather large croissant in front of her, along with a couple of napkins and utensils. Kaiana's eyes widened slightly at the size of the croissant, but she was too hungry to protest. "Thanks a lot Haley," Kaiana said as she began cutting her croissant in half. She watched studiously as Haley prepared her frappucino in between bites of her meal. At last, Haley placed the frappucino on the counter next to her plate complete with a straw. Kaiana frowned noticing the whipped cream topping.

"What's wrong," Haley asked.

Kaiana swallowed the food in her mouth first before replying. "Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but I hate whipped cream".

Haley's eyes widened. "I didn't think anyone hated whipped cream," she said.

"Well, I guess you've finally met someone who does," Kaiana said, smiling widely.

"Hmm...you must not be aware of all the great things that can be done with whipped cream," Haley said with a devious grin.

Kaiana laughed out loud. "I'll just bet," she said in between giggles, which started Haley's laughter as well. Karen hearing the loud laughter finally ventured back out from the back area of the café. "What's so funny guys," Karen asked. Haley and Kaiana's eyes met and a faint blush creeped up Haley's neck until it reddened her entire face. That made Kaiana laugh harder. "Oh nothing...you had to be there." Haley said, glaring at Kaiana and sending a signal with her eyes to stop laughing.

"Yeah", Kaiana said in between giggles. "You had to be there to get it." Karen regarded the two girls with a strange look, but she simply gave them small smiles choosing not to question them any further. Kaiana quickly glanced downwards to her plate still with a smile adorning her face. She heard the bell jingle on the front door signaling someone was entering. Hearing the sound of laughter coming from the doorway, she spun around on her stool. She gasped in shock to see Lucas standing in the doorway of the café with an older guy with sandy blonde hair, the both of them laughing. Lucas saw her at that moment and she could see the surprise on his face matched her own.

"What are you doing here," Lucas asked while walking towards her. He perched himself on the stool next to Kaiana, still watching her with a slightly surprised look. He seemed to have forgotten all about his friend at the doorway while his attention was focused on her. Kaiana was at a loss for words for a moment. She was just as surprised to see him here. She wasn't expecting to see him again so soon...well until school the next day.

"I...uh...ca-came here with Haley to catch up on notes for English," she said, cursing inwardly at her stuttering. Lucas smiled a slow smile. Lucas turned to Haley with a questioning look, inside wondering why Haley didn't just tell him back at school that she was bringing Kaiana to his mom's café. Lucas chuckled when he realized Haley was deliberately avoiding his stare. 'Alright', he thought... 'I'll get it out of her later'. Seeing the silent exchange between Lucas and Haley confused Kaiana, until it dawned on her. She remembered something Haley said earlier in the parking lot...about Lucas seeing her much sooner than he thinks. Kaiana chuckled softly at the irony of her being worried that Brooke was up to something, when it was now so obvious that Haley was. Just when she thought she had these people figured out they surprise me.

Meanwhile, the gentlemen at the doorway continued to stand in the same spot in the doorway with his hands in the pockets of his jeans silently watching the scene in front of him. Lucas and this girl who he had never seen before were definitely into each other. What other reason could there be for Lucas to just forget all about his presence, walking away from him like they weren't just having a conversation. But he couldn't be annoyed with Lucas because he remembered how it was to be 17...hormones and all. His eyes finally strayed to Karen and he saw a knowing smile on her face. It seemed Karen also picked up on the vibes between the 'couple'. Well, Keith had to give it to his nephew...he had great taste in women.

**Note: Alright, here's another chapter you guys. Anyway, please hit that little review button. Bye for now!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Karen's Café Pt. 3**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

Lucas chuckled to himself as he drummed his fingers on the counter. So now Haley is playing games huh. She's hanging out with Brooke way too much because this is definitely her thing. Lucas gazed at Kaiana, wondering how one girl could be so beautiful and she seemed to be completely unaware of it. Although, he couldn't see how she could be. She had to have a mirror at home. He laughed softly again when he noticed Kaiana was doing her best to ignore his stare. He could tell by the set of her jaw and the fact that she had ceased eating that he was making her nervous. Good. He was having an effect on her. Lucas was relieved to discover that maybe he wasn't the only one aware of the vibes between them.

Then Kaiana turned and caught his stare, causing a slight blush to appear on his cheeks. She smiled making her cute little dimples appear. Lucas felt his heart begin to beat faster. "What's so funny," she asked. "Mind sharing the joke with me?" Lucas didn't respond to her question instead averting his eyes from her stare to get himself under control. One moment he felt in control of the situation and the next minute he wasn't. How could one simple smile completely unravel him? Because that smile came from one the hottest girls he had ever seen, that's why. Lucas dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated with his sudden nervousness. He heard a snort and turned his head towards its direction. Haley was busy restacking the glass dishes with fresh pastries, biting her lip to fight a smile from forming. She turned then and winked at him, which earned her a glare. He then turned to his mom, who to his surprise winked at him also. _So they both noticed that I'm acting like a lovesick idiot. Great...plus they seem to think it's hilarious. Just wait until I get Haley alone!_

"Lucas. Hey Lucas you didn't answer my question. "Sorry," he said, turning to face her once more. "I was just about to ask Haley myself what's so funny." Lucas gave Haley a pointed look, causing a giggle to burst from her lips. He rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Is there something I'm missing here," Kaiana asked, her eyes floating from Lucas to Haley. "The two of you seem to be in on the same joke. You wanna let me in on it."

"While you're at it, could you let me in on the joke too," Keith smirked. Lucas's attention traveled to his uncle, annoyed to find that Keith fully understood what the joke was. It was a little irritating that everyone seemed to be amused at his expense. Lucas turned back to Kaiana ignoring his uncle completely, which caused Keith to chuckle softly. He ignored his uncle's laughter as well. Lucas changed the subject by asking Kaina 'what she was doing here'.

She lifted an eyebrow in a mock challenge. "Do you not want me to be here," she questioned. "I didn't realize I needed your permission to come here." Lucas's mouth gaped, faltering slightly to respond, but then he smiled when he noticed the teasing glint in her eyes.

Suddenly, Lucas glanced at Haley and gave her a sly smile. "Actually what I meant was why didn't you guys just tell me you were coming to my _mom's_ café. All Haley said was that you guys have somewhere to be...making it sound all cryptic."

Kaiana's mouth dropped open before she could catch herself. "This is your mom's café? Karen is _your_ mom?" Lucas nodded, still giving Haley that sly smile. Kaiana turned to Haley giving her a questioning glance, silently asking her what was going on. At Haley's non response, she then glanced at Karen. Karen smiled and raised her hands in a gesture that clearly said 'I have nothing to do with this'. "Haley, why didn't you say anything before," Kaiana asked slowly.

"Well...you see...I didn't...you know...think it was important. I mean you would have found out eventually...right? And well you did." Lucas laughed at Haley's stumbling. Good. Hopefully, she'll learn to stop meddling now, because it's so obvious that's what she's doing. She was trying to play matchmaker. He didn't need her help finding girls. After all, he had dated two of the prettiest girls at Tree Hill High, Brooke and Peyton. Lucas frowned at his thoughts. Both of those relationships ended only after a couple months, for different reasons of course, but still they had ended. He was lucky to even still have both of them as his friends. Maybe he did need help in the 'love' department.

Kaiana touched Lucas's arm and he glanced at her. "You ok," she asked sounding concerned. Lucas smiled and said 'yeah'. She nodded accepting his answer and returned his smile. He heard a throat being cleared next to him and he rolled his eyes, wishing that his uncle would just disappear. Lucas sighed. "Kaiana, I would like you to meet my Uncle Keith. Keith this is Kaiana...she's a new student at Tree Hill High. She just moved to town." Keith got up off his stool and walked over to Kaiana stretching a hand out for her to shake. She in turn reached her hand out to Keith, blushing when instead of shaking her hand he gave her a lingering kiss on her knuckles. Lucas rolled his eyes, shaking his head at his uncle's deliberate attempt to rile him. "Well, aren't you pretty," Keith commented. "I always knew my boy here had a good eye for picking out the beautiful ones." Keith slapped Lucas on the back playfully, grinning even broader when he saw the scowl on Lucas's face.

"Oh...Keith...we're not...you know...I mean...it's not like---." Keith held up a hand to cut Kaiana off. "No, no, no. No need to explain your _relationship. _I've got eyes you know. I can see just fine." Keith winked at Lucas and took his place back on the stool. Lucas leaned over to Keith and whispered "what are you doing". Keith ignored Lucas, calling out to Karen that he wanted a turkey club sandwich and a soda. Lucas elbowed Keith in his side. "What boy," Keith asked, his eyes dancing with laughter. "You know what," Lucas hissed in his ear. "Just stop whatever you're doing Keith. Stop it right now!"

Keith only laughed, amused that it was working. He was definitely rising Lucas up. "So Kaiana, I have a question for you," he continued, ignoring Lucas's warning glance. "Did you leave a boyfriend where you moved from?" Kaiana blushed again. "No...um...there was no boyfriend," she replied. "So you're single," Keith questioned, still avoiding Lucas's eyes as he took the tall glass of soda that Karen handed to him. "Yeah, I'm single," she answered

"Hmm...interesting...don't you think so Lucas," Keith said, finally meeting his nephew's gaze. Lucas glared at Keith, who was now sipping his soda, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Lucas finally allowed an evil grin to form on his face. "Ignore my uncle Kaiana. He seems to have forgotten that he's _old _and that high school girls are _way_ out of his league." Keith almost choked on his soda, spitting a little of it out. Lucas laughed and patted his uncle on the back. "Smooth Keith...very smooth," Lucas said.

Haley burst out laughing, holding her hand up for Lucas to slap it in triumph. Keith smirked at Lucas and then Haley, before shaking his head. He then looked at Karen, who was re-filling one of the coffee containers, to find her giggling with her back facing him. "Oh that's just great," he said, his tone sarcastic. "You're laughing. Your son is disrespecting me and you're laughing. What a great role model you are." Karen turned around, abandoning her task to fix Keith with a mock glare of her own. "You're the one who was trying to rile him up," she said. "You should know better than to tangle with my son."

"Well apparently I'm _old_ so I forgot," he remarked dryly. "Remember, the mind is one of the first things to go." Keith glanced at Luke, not surprised to find his eyes still twinkling with amusement.

"What mind...I didn't know you had much of one to begin with," Lucas said, grinning broadly. Haley snickered as Keith reached over and ruffled Lucas's hair, messing up the already unruly hairstyle. Kaiana studied the four other people, envying their easy going relationship with each other. Why couldn't she have a family like this? Why did she have to be alone? Her eyes misted over for a second, but she willed the tears back. She ripped off a piece of her croissant and placed it her mouth, barely tasting it now that her thoughts had become depressing again. Haley called her name breaking her out of her reverie.

"Kai, you wanna go back over to the table and we could go over those notes," Haley asked.

"Kai," said Kaiana, her eyebrow raised in question. "So I get a nickname now...so soon," she mocked.

Haley smirked. "Yeah you do," she replied. "Now come on...let me get you those notes?" Haley untied her apron, slipping it over head and placing it on a peg on the wall. She then turned to Karen and told her she was taking a short break to help Kaiana with some school work. Karen smiled and waved them away, first asking Kaiana if she was finished with her food. Kaiana nodded getting up from her stool, stopping first to take some cash out of her pocket.

"No this one is on the house," Karen said warmly. Kaiana smiled and placed her money back in her pocket.

Haley came around the counter and headed over to the table where Kaiana's book bag sat; Kaiana strolling right behind her. Lucas watched as Kaiana walked away, his eyes traveling to the feminine sway of her hips. Lucas swallowed hard finding his mouth suddenly dry. His mother dragged his attention away, asking if he wanted something to eat. He glanced at his mom and gave her a quick nod before returning his gaze back to where it was previously. Kaiana was looking straight at him with an expression that he knew matched his own. It was one of curiosity...interest...of attraction.

**Note: Ok guys here is the next installment of this story. I hope you guys are enjoying it. Can you believe this is the 8th chapter and we're still on the first day? This is crazy! I'm going to work on that. After this, one day won't last for so many chapters. I apologize.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Karen's Café Pt. 4**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

Haley was chattering a mile a minute and Kaiana was trying her hardest to listen. She really was, but _he_ was distracting her. Lucas was currently still sitting at the counter with his back turned to her eating a sandwich his mom had brought to him. He wasn't looking at her, but she could feel his presence and it drew her eyes to him again and again. Every time she managed to pull her eyes away from him, she found them floating right back in his direction. He laughed then at something his uncle said to him and she smiled at the rich sound. Jesus...even his laughter stirred something inside her. This was bad...very bad. She couldn't allow him to affect her like this.

Haley waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey Kaiana," she called. "You okay? Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?"

Kaiana jumped slightly and looked at Haley. "Uh...What...Oh were you talking to me," she asked, her eyes still appearing somewhat dazed.

Haley gave her a half smile. "You know...I know my best friend can be distracting," she stated, her eyes moving to glance at Lucas briefly before returning back to the girl sitting across from her. "But staring at him is not going to help you get these notes. How about you get the notes first and then stare at him after?"

Kaiana rolled her eyes, but she could feel her cheeks flame with embarrassment. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I guess I _am_ a little distracted."

Haley raised an eyebrow. "You think," she countered, with that same half smile. "Look, how about I leave these notes here with you to copy now. Or you can take them home with you for the night. That way you can use the rest of your time here to stare at Lucas." Haley slid the notebook across the table to Kaiana.

"I was _not_ staring at Lucas," Kaiana scoffed, as she picked up the notebook and placed it into her book bag. "But I do think you have a good idea. I'll borrow it tonight and write down the notes. I can return it to you first thing in the morning."

Haley shook her head and snickered. "You weren't staring at him huh," she replied. "Okay...whatever you have to tell yourself. Anyway, I have to get back to work." Haley pushed back her chair and rose from the table.

Kaiana nodded. "Okay...I think I'll just take off now. It's been a long day." Kaiana stood up as well, placing her book bag over her shoulder.

"Alright...well you have my cell number if you wanna talk later and if not I'll see you at school tomorrow okay," Haley told her, as she squeezed her arm gently before walking back over to the counter. Haley nudged Lucas secretly and nodded her head discreetly in Kaiana's direction, who was currently digging around in her bag. Lucas put down the glass of soda he was holding and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He exchanged a look with Haley, which earned him another nudge from his best friend. He sighed deeply and got up from the stool and made his way over to where Kaiana stood.

She looked up and saw him approaching her and she fought against the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. He was standing right in front of her now with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans, his eyes staring deeply into hers. He cleared his throat nervously. "So you heading out huh," he asked her. She nodded. He looked down again unable to form another sentence. What was it about this girl that made him so nervous? He heard her sigh and he brought his eyes up to meet her gaze once more, finding a soft smile on her face. He instantly felt warmed at the sight of that smile, returning it with one of his own.

"So...uh...I'm guessing you're ready to relax after today," he asked, hoping that he would prolong the conversation. He wasn't quite ready for her to go just yet. "I mean the whole starting a new school thing and then that crap that went down with Justin at school. I'm sure your head is just ready to hit the pillow."

Kaiana rolled her eyes. "You have no idea," she said. "But there were some good things that came out of this. I met some great people...possibly people who will become close friends." She looked directly into his eyes, unconscious of the subtle message she was sending him. Truth be told, she wanted to be close as she could possibly get with Lucas. She just wasn't sure if that was what she needed right now.

Lucas was having reservations himself. He wasn't sure if what she said was meant to sound like a come on, but he didn't care either which way. He would be lying to himself if he denied his attraction to her and it sent a thrill through him at the thought of her being attracted to him too. "Yeah I can almost guarantee that _those_ people will become good friends to you," he answered finally, sneaking a glance over his shoulder at Haley. He shook his head upon finding her staring openly at him and Kaiana. He was going to have a talk with her later about her nosiness.

Lucas then looked at Kaiana again and a thought occurred to him. She hadn't mentioned her parents today...not once. His curiosity prodded him to ask her about that. "Hey, what about your parents," he asked her, noticing her stiffen but continuing anyway. "You haven't mentioned them at all today. Usually when a kid moves to a new town, they would gripe about how their parents forced them to move because of a new job or some other reason, but you haven't said anything about them."

Kaiana averted his eyes and bit her lip. The one topic she didn't want to talk about and he had to dredge it up. She knew he was waiting for an answer, but she refused to give him one. "Kaiana...hey...something wrong," he asked, his voice sounding concerned now. She shook her head and adjusted her book bag over her shoulder. She mumbled something like 'I gotta go' and 'see you at school tomorrow" as she stepped around him, quickly heading for the exit. He heard the familiar 'ding' of his mother's door opening and then she was gone.

Lucas still hadn't moved from his spot, watching her through the glass get into her vehicle and pull away from the curb. Haley called his name and he turned around, only when he could see Kaiana's car no longer. He trudged back over to the counter and sat back down on the stool next to his uncle.

His uncle slapped him on the back. "You'll get em next time slugger," Keith said, shooting his nephew an annoying grin. Lucas shot his uncle a quelling look. "What did you say to her," Haley asked him, her tone accusatory as she playfully snapped him with a dish towel. He didn't answer right away, still lost in thought about Kaiana's strange reaction to his question. Why didn't she want to talk about her parents?

"Hey...lover boy," Haley called, tapping his hand lightly. "What happened over there? Why did she run off like that? She didn't even say goodbye."

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know Hales," he responded. "I simply asked about her parents. It was like all of a sudden all the light left her eyes and she couldn't get away from me fast enough."

Haley frowned. "_Really_," she asked with interest, leaning on the counter with her elbows resting on it. "That's kind of weird. Well...not really. A lot of kids don't like to talk about their parents. _You_ should be able to vibe with her on _that_ subject."

Lucas groaned. "Not now Haley," he said. "I've had a pretty decent day. Don't ruin it by bringing him up...please." Just thinking about his father could bring darkness to his mood. There was no one in the world that could rile him up like that man could. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to its owner.

"Lucas you know I don't like the guy too much either," Keith said, his voice suddenly serious. "But he is your father. I wish the two of you could come to some sort of understanding. The both of you are too stubborn for your own good." Lucas shrugged the hand off him and glared at his uncle.

"Not you too Keith," Lucas snapped. "There is a reason why we can't come to an understanding and it's a damn good one. _He-abandoned-me_. Isn't that enough reason to stay away from him?" Keith sighed and glanced at Karen, silently asking her to intervene.

"Don't look at me Keith," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. "I've talked to him about it many times. He's not budging on the issue."

"I would appreciate it if you guys wouldn't talk about me as if I'm not sitting right here," Lucas sneered.

His mother raised her eyebrows at him. "And I would appreciate it if you would get that tone out of your voice," she countered. Lucas rolled his eyes. He mumbled 'sorry' and caught the gaze of his best friend.

"Luke...we're only trying to help," said Haley in a soft voice as she stood up straight. "I mean you and Nathan have made so much progress and you hated him too...remember. I know how much it hurts. What he did...what your father did was awful. But why can't you guys just work it out? It's like the both of you bring the worst of your anger out of each other."

Lucas clenched his jaw. "We can't work it out, because he's a jerk. You know that and I know that. Just take how he treats you for instance. He refuses to accept the fact that you are Nathan's girlfriend. And we all know how well he reacted to the fact that Nathan and I are now on speaking terms. When he found out, he promptly started a big fight with Nathan and his mom. Nathan's mom moved out of the house to get away from him Haley. Why should I want to form a relationship with someone like that?"

Haley didn't know what to say to that. The man was a complete asshole to her and to the both of his sons. She didn't like him in the least and always made sure that was clear if she ever bumped into him on the street. Mr. Scott had a way of making people hate his guts very easily. It must be some sort of gift...a gift Haley was glad that she didn't have. There was a time when she thought Nathan was like him, until she had gotten to know him better. She had realized his constant cocky demeanor was just something he forced, something he used as a protective barrier to keep himself from getting hurt. Deep inside he was similar to Lucas...loyal, sweet, thoughtful...not to mention stubborn. Haley pushed her hair behind her ear and looked into they eyes of her best friend.

"Yeah...I see what you mean Luke," she said softly. "Sorry for pushing."

"It's okay Hales," he replied, giving her a small smile. "I know you just care about me." He then glanced at his mom and his uncle. "I know everyone cares about me, but this is something that can't be fixed. I've come to terms with the fact that Dan will never be my dad. I just wish you guys would." With that said, Lucas got up off the stool and exited the diner.

Karen and Keith exchanged a look. "Do you think I should go after him," Keith asked, looking from Karen to Haley.

"No, he'll be alright," said Karen as she continued filling the coffee canisters. "You know how he is. His father is a touchy subject for him. He just needs some time alone right now. That's all." Karen saw the worried expression on Haley's face and turned the girl to face her. "Haley...stop...don't blame yourself for Lucas leaving," she ordered. "Lucas isn't mad at you. It's just talking about his father makes him close up and withdraw. He doesn't mean to hurt anyone."

"How did you know I was blaming myself," Haley replied, frowning. Karen lovingly smoothed a hand down Haley's hair, just as she used to do when Haley was younger. "Sweetheart I've known you since you were five years old," she said. "I can read the expressions on that pretty face like a book." Haley smiled and then her face returned serious again.

"Karen do you think Luke and Dan will ever get along," she asked quietly. "Luke says he hates him, but I'm not so sure. Sometimes I think he hates himself more for still wanting...I don't know...for Dan to act like a real dad to him."

Keith gulped down the rest of his soda. "I agree with you Haley," he said. "No matter what Lucas says, I know there is a part of him that wishes he and Dan were closer, but he would never admit it. Anyway, I'm going back to the shop. I have a car to finish up tonight. I'll see you pretty ladies tomorrow." Keith pulled out some cash from his wallet and slid it forward on the counter as he rose from his seat. He waved goodbye before leaving the diner as well.

"You think he's really going to go check on Lucas," Haley asked as she watched Keith get into his truck.

Karen nodded. "Absolutely," she said. "Keith loves Lucas like a son. He's the only semblance of a father Lucas has ever had. And I think in some ways that hurts Lucas too."

Haley turned to Karen and frowned. "How so," she asked. "If Keith loves Lucas, then why would that hurt him?"

"It hurts Lucas because Keith is Dan's brother," Karen replied. "Every time Keith does something special for Lucas or even when they hang out together, it's a constant reminder of what he doesn't have with his real father. I'm pretty sure he wonders why his father couldn't be more like his uncle. But don't worry...Lucas will be fine." Karen patted Haley on the back and went back into the kitchen area of the diner.

"Yeah," Haley answered resting her chin on her hand. She just hated seeing Lucas like that. They had been best friends for so long and they were always there for each other. Haley was frustrated that Lucas had a problem that she couldn't fix. She couldn't stop her friend from hurting any more than she could stop Dan from being a jerk. The only thing she could do to help Lucas was to continue doing what she always did...love him and support him.

**Later that night....**

Kaiana lay awake in her bed praying for sleep to come soon, but knowing that it wouldn't. She couldn't seem to turn her mind off tonight. She snuck a look at the clock on her night stand and saw it was 10:00 p.m. A deep sight escaped her lips and she flopped onto her back. It was bad enough that he had invaded her thoughts for most of the day, but now he was taking up her night time too. Why did he have to ask about her parents? Why did he have to go there? She grunted at the stupidity of those thoughts. Of course he was curious. It was a perfectly normal question. The problem was: talking about her parents was a definite no-no. She couldn't just open up to him that easily, not to mention it may have led to a conversation about who she really was and she definitely wasn't ready for that.

She glanced at her cell phone sitting in its charger and she reached over to pick it up. She noticed that it had one missed call and a voice mail. She pressed a couple buttons and held the phone to her ear to listen to the message. It was Peyton. She wondered how Peyton got her cell number, until she realized Haley probably gave it to her. Why would Peyton have to speak to her now anyway? Then she remembered that she had told Peyton she could hang out with her or talk if she wanted to. Well, she didn't really feel like talking to anyone right now. Tomorrow she would apologize to Peyton when she saw her at school and just hope that would be enough. Right now all she wanted to do was rest her mind from the strenuous day she had. She rolled over on to her side and curled up in a ball, shifting the blanket higher on to her shoulder. She closed her eyes again for the hundredth time and hoped that sleep would find her soon.

**Note: It was hard to write this chapter for some reason. I seem to be consumed with ideas for my other two stories even though this one was my baby. I'll try to drum up something good for the next chapter. I have to really brainstorm. Anyway...please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Facing the Second Day**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

Kaiana sighed as she pulled into the parking lot of Tree Hill High; not ready at all to face her second day of school. She exited her truck, first grabbing her tote bag off the seat, and began her trek across the parking lot. She followed some kids around the back of the school until she came to a set of benches. She noted that it was the same spot where she had spent her free period yesterday afternoon. A familiar blond with a head full of curls was sitting at one of them, her head down seemingly engrossed in a book. Kaiana increased her pace as she walked towards the blonde, feeling a sense of relief at her decision to wear comfortable shoes. Kaiana smirked as she stood over the girl sitting down, silently wondering when her presence would be acknowledged. The smirk slid off her face when she realized the girl wore headphones. Kaiana leaned over and closed the book, smiling at the way the girl started at the unexpected movement.

Peyton quickly took off her headphones, turning around to tongue lash whoever was behind her, when she saw Kaiana grinning down at her. "Girl you are so lucky it's you," Peyton said laughing. Peyton made a motion with her hands to the seat of the bench. "Come on sit down." Kaiana plopped her bag down on the table and sat down. She dragged a hand through her hair tiredly, stifling a yawn. Peyton raised an eyebrow. "Dude you alright," she asked. "You look a little tired."

Kaiana snorted. "I'm more than a little tired," she said. "More like exhausted. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Man that sucks," said Peyton. "Just what _did_ you do yesterday afternoon when I left?"

"I went with Haley to this little café where she works so that she could go over the English notes with me," Kaiana replied. "You've probably heard of it right...Karen's Café."

Peyton nodded. "Yeah Brooke and I go there all the time," she replied. "Nathan's mom and Karen are business partners, so of course Nathan goes there a lot too. Plus, his girlfriend also works there." Peyton paused for a beat. "So you met Lucas's mom," she asked carefully. She also had picked up on a slight vibe between Lucas and Kaiana yesterday. Kaiana's face contorted at the mention of Lucas. "Something wrong," Peyton asked curiously.

Kaiana glanced over at the blonde sitting next to her, thinking of how she could explain what was bothering her. She needed to talk to someone. She had been going over and over it last night in her head and talking to yourself just didn't do the trick. "It's just...you know...Lucas," Kaiana said finally.

"O-kay," Peyton said slowly. "What about Lucas?"

"Everything," Kaiana answered unhappily. "Peyton you know I'm new here. My house still hasn't been fixed up yet...at least not completely and there are still boxes unpacked everywhere and now I have all this homework and not to mention this thing happened with Lucas yesterday and he probably thinks that's I'm a nutcase for just leaving like that---."

Peyton held a hand up. "Woah...wait as minute," she instructed. "Just take a deep breath. Slow down alright. Now tell me what exactly happened with Lucas yesterday."

Kaiana did as she was told, taking in a deep breath. "Like I said before I went with Haley to that café," she continued. "By the way, she didn't tell me that the owner was Lucas's mom either. I think she planned for Lucas and I to sort of bump into each other, or at least she hoped we would."

Peyton laughed. "Are you kidding me," she asked incredulously. "So Haley's playing matchmaker huh? I'm a little surprised. That's usually Brooke's department."

"Yeah well little Ms. Haley was doing some scheming of her own," Kaiana said, joining in the laughter. The smile slid of her face though at the thought of how she had left the café so abruptly. "Anyway, of course Lucas stopped by, along with his uncle, who is pretty nice...he's funny. But then when I was leaving, Lucas came over to talk to me for a while." Kaiana stared down at her nails, not even realizing she had paused the conversation.

"So what did you guys talk about," Peyton prodded.

"Well, we were just...you know...chatting and then it happened," Kaiana said dramatically. "He asked me something about my parents and I just freaked. I really don't like discussing them. I was so uncomfortable with the change of subject that I just left. I didn't even say goodbye to anyone. I just took off. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm some sort of weirdo."

Peyton smiled. "Is that all," she asked. "Don't worry about it. Luke is cool. Just tell him what you told me...that you don't like talking about your parents. He'll understand. Trust me. Luke is a good guy."

"You sure," Kaiana asked uncertainly. "It was like he mentioned my parents and I just froze him out. I didn't mean to be that way. It was like I couldn't help it."

"Just apologize," said Peyton. "He'll understand...trust me. Now come on...let's go inside. I need to get something from my locker before class."

Kaiana rose with Peyton, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She was still deep in thought as she and Peyton walked side by side. Peyton stopped at one of the sections of lockers and began twisting the knob on her lock. "So I'm guessing you haven't had time to come up with a routine yet for try outs," Peyton asked casually, sneaking a quick glance at Kaiana.

Kaiana shook her head, as she moved to lean against the locker next to Peyton's. "No, but I'll think of something later," she answered. "I took dance lessons for some years. I don't think it will be that hard. I just have to pick the right music and it will flow from there." Kaiana turned her head to look at Peyton. "So you helped me work out a little issue I had. Now it's your turn."

Peyton rustled around in her locker until she found the notebook she was looking for, before closing the door and locking it back. "I'm not sure what you mean," she replied as she knelt to place her book in the backpack.

Kaiana rolled her eyes. "Yes you do," she responded. "You were all distracted and out of it yesterday afternoon after school. And I saw on my phone that you called me last night. I figured you wanted to talk."

Peyton zipped up her bag, and slung it back over shoulder. "It was nothing," she said, as she gave a little shrug.

"Are you sure," Kaiana asked. "Come on Peyton. I talked to you. Now you talk to me."

Peyton hooked her fingers into the pockets of her jeans. "Well I've been thinking about this guy and I'm not sure---" Peyton trailed off when she saw Brooke and Haley coming towards them. Kaiana frowned. She turned her head to see who Peyton was looking at and smiled when she saw the two 'schemers'.

"Hi guys...what's up," said Haley. "What were you guys talking about over here?"

Both Kaiana and Peyton shared a look that said 'don't tell them'. "Nothing much," said Peyton, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh okay...well...good morning chicas," Brook said happily. Brooke looked at Kaiana carefully. "Wow...your hair," she said. "It's so...curly. What did you do to it?"

"Brooke...one word...tact," Peyton said sarcastically. Haley only laughed. Brooke was one of her closest friends, but the girl should think before she speaks.

Brooke shook her head frantically. "No I didn't mean it that way," she said. "I like it better like this actually. But damn, that's a lot of hair...beautiful...but it must be a bitch to handle." Brooke placed a hand out and stroked one of the curls, her face almost in awe at how the curl sprung back into place. Sometimes she wished her hair was curly like Peyton, instead of the straight hair she had.

"You have no idea," Kaiana said. "I washed it last night and I just decided to let it air dry. My hair is naturally curly. It was straight yesterday because I got up early and blow dried it." Kaiana patted her hair self consciously. "Are you sure it looks okay," she asked.

"It's beautiful," Brooke answered truthfully. "I guess now we have two curly haired girls in our clique now."

"Oh so I'm in your clique now," Kaiana asked playfully. "Damn how did I let this happen?"

"Yeah...yeah whatever smart ass," Brooke retorted, her dimples flashing. "You know you're glad you're hanging out with us." Brooke glanced at Kaiana from head to toe. "I like your sneakers girl," she commented. "Not as hot as those boots you had on yesterday, but still cute."

"Yeah well I had a tough night," Kaiana responded. "I woke up this morning and just didn't feel like doing heels today."

"I know the feeling," said Haley. "Especially since I never wear heels to school."

Brooke looked at her friend, giving her a sarcastic smile. "Do you ever wear heels anywhere?"

Haley hit Brooke playfully on the arm. "Shut up cheerleader," she joked.

Then Kaiana remembered she had Haley's notebook. She slid her hand into her bag and pulled it out. "Here you go," she said, handing the book to Haley.

"Oh thanks," Haley said cheerfully. "Did it help get you up to speed with what we're doing in class?"

Kaiana nodded. "Yeah I read all your notes but I only managed to copy down the notes from the first two chapters before the words started swimming in front of my eyes," she remarked. "But thanks anyway. It was a great help just to read it."

"Your welcome," said Haley. "You know you can always borrow it again to copy the rest. Don't you have a free period after lunch? You can borrow it then."

"Thanks a lot Haley," said Kaiana, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "Yeah I do have a free period after lunch. I'll write---" All her speech ceased when she spied two familiar figures coming down the hall. Lucas and Nathan. She leaned off the lockers and looked over at Peyton quickly. Peyton saw the brothers coming towards them and she noticed the way Kaiana immediately got quiet.

Nathan strolled up to Haley, leaning down and kissing her softly on the lips. "Hey baby...what's up," he said, pulling her into a hug. Haley pulled back and leaned up to give her boyfriend another kiss on the lips, this one lingering a little longer.

"Oh will you get a room," Peyton said sarcastically. Nathan flipped her the bird, but he was smiling. Peyton gave him the finger right back, smirking slightly.

Kaiana chanced a look at Lucas. He was watching her closely, his eyes going over her entire body. She squirmed a little under his gaze, glancing down quickly at her choice of outfit. She hoped that he didn't think she looked bad or something. Then she immediately berated herself for caring so much about what he thought. Her eyes sought his again. A sense of déjà vu hit her. She and Lucas had been standing staring at each other like this just yesterday morning.

Peyton looked at the two teenagers regarding each other. "Umm...Brooke didn't you tell me last night you wanted to talk to me about something," she asked. Brooke looked at Peyton like she had grown another head, because she knew she hadn't spoken to Peyton since yesterday after school. "What are you talking about Peyton," she asked in confusion.

Peyton nodded her head discreetly at the couple and Brooke's eyes widened. "Oh yeah...um...that," she said, taking a quick look at her watch. "Yeah I remember now, but let's go talk in private huh. We have about 10 more minutes before the bell rings." Brooke took Peyton's arm and led her away from the group.

Haley watched as her friends left, wondering what was going on, until she saw Lucas and Kaiana. She nudged Nathan in his side. Nathan looked over at his brother and smirked. He got the idea. "Alright Ms. Matchmaker," he whispered to Haley in her ear. "I have to get to class anyway." Nathan kissed Haley one more time, before taking off down the hall to his class. Haley eased herself away from Lucas and Kaiana, heading over to her two friends talking a little ways down the hallway.

"What's going on with those two," Brooke whispered, when she saw Haley come up to them.

"I'm not exactly sure," Haley replied. "Whatever it is, it's between Lucas and Kaiana."

Brooke pouted. "Oh come on," she pleaded. "Give up the gossip. I want the scoop on those two."

Peyton laughed. "Would you listen to yourself," she said. "Jeez Brooke. We just wanted to give them some privacy. Obviously something is going on between them. Let _them_ figure it out."

Brooke sighed loudly. "Alright," she said. "But I'm going to pay close attention to Lucas's mouth. Maybe I can read his side of the conversation from his lips."

"No you're not," Haley said firmly, turning Brooke around and giving her a push. "Go to class. Come on we'll walk you."

Lucas dragged his eyes away from Kaiana and looked over at his friends, who were now leaving. A part of him was glad that they left him to have some privacy, but a part of him wanted one of them here with him. Maybe it would make everything seem less awkward. His eyes drew back to her, smiling at the way she was nervously biting her bottom lip.

Kaiana sighed. It was time to get this over with. "Look Lucas I want to apologize," she started. "I'm sorry."

Lucas looked confused. "For what," he asked.

Kaiana shifted her bag on her shoulder, crossing her arms protectively over her chest as she placed her back against the locker again. "For acting so weird yesterday...for just leaving like that," she said looking down at the floor.

"Oh that," he responded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It's cool. Don't worry about it. I worried though. You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine," she said, looking at him directly now. "I just hate talking about my parents. It's a sore subject for me. It doesn't excuse the way I acted though." She looked down at the ground again before giving him a shy smile. "So do you forgive me?"

Lucas took a step closer to her and scratched his head as he pretended to think. Kaiana laughed and hit in the chest. "Oh just stop," she said in a teasing voice.

"Alright...no need to get violent," he said. "Of course I forgive you. No harm done. I just wanted to know if you were okay and now I know you are." His eyes slid upwards to her hair. He couldn't help it. She looked so different with it all curly...prettier even. Before he knew it, he was pulling on of her curls, loving how soft her hair felt between his fingers.

Kaiana bit her lip. Now he was stroking her hair and he didn't even seem to realize he was doing it. "You know if you want to play with hair it would be easier to just grow your own long," she teased. Lucas looked at her face then and where his hand was. He dropped her hair as if he had been holding a piece of hot coal. He felt warm heat creeping up his neck. Kaiana giggled. "It's okay Lucas," she told him. "For some reason people always seem to want to touch my hair when it's curly like this."

Kaiana felt a streak of bravery as she reached up her hand and ran it through his messy locks. He arched his brow at that. "What I can't touch your hair," she said, moving her fingers through his hair again. "You touched mine, although I think it's completely unfair that you can get away with that 'just got out of bed look'. I have so many headaches with my hair. I bet you just wash it and go huh."

Lucas chuckled. "Pretty much," he replied. His smile grew as he felt her fingers continuing to weave through his hair. When she ruffled it playfully, he laughed. "Hey watch it," he said, grabbing her hand in his. "I know it's messy, but don't make it worse."

"Can it get any worse," she quipped.

"Oh no you didn't," Lucas joked.

Kaiana giggled loudly. "Oh god! You have been hanging around girls way too much. We need to get some more testosterone in your blood. Don't worry Lucas. We'll turn you into a man...someday."

"Well if you're looking for a real man then you're wasting your time with him."

Damn. Justin. This guy just can't take a hint. Kaiana looked at Lucas. His body language seemed stiff and she could tell he was fighting to keep his anger in check. Her eyebrows rose. Apparently Lucas already had enough testosterone. He didn't need a drop more.

"Why don't you get lost," Lucas said, taking a step closer to Justin.

Justin looked Lucas up and down contemptuously. "You know I'm about tired of the Scott brothers," he said coming closer to Lucas's face. "It's a free country. I can stand wherever I want and talk to whoever the hell I want. The Scotts don't rule these hallways _bro_."

Lucas smirked. "You're right...we only rule the court," he remarked arrogantly. "I may not rule these hallways, but I do know if you don't stay away from Kaiana, we're going to have a problem."

Kaiana placed a hand on Lucas's arm pulling him back from Justin. "Come on Lucas," she pleaded. "Ignore him. Let's get to class." The bell rung to start 1st period. Lucas continued to stare at Justin, his eyes narrowed. "Just remember what I said," Lucas warned. "Don't mess with her."

"Oh only you can _mess_ with her right," Justin fired back.

Kaiana turned around rapidly, her hair swinging. "Why don't you just shut the hell up," she demanded. "Look I'm sorry I crushed your little ego yesterday...with stress on the little, but get over it. I'm sure there's plenty of girls who would hook up with you, but guess what...I'm not one of them. So please do me and yourself a favor. Save yourself the embarrassment and stop talking to me." She turned to face Lucas again placing a hand on his chest. "Let's go Lucas," she told him. Lucas looked at her and then at Justin. He nodded and grabbed her hand. They both walked away, leaving Justin shooting daggers into their backs.

**Note: Here's another chapter finally. Sorry it took so long. I lost my muse I guess. Please review.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Facing the Second Day Pt. 2**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

****

Kaiana paused in front of the door to her homeroom. She didn't know why God had seen fit to place Justin in homeroom with her. That guy definitely had problems...problems that were beginning to affect her life. After the run in with him this morning, she and Lucas had hurried off to class. Lucas hadn't said a word to her the whole time they walked. The walk to their class had been quiet and tense, all traces of the previous easy going manner now absent. She inwardly cursed Justing for ruining a good moment.

When they got to their English class, Lucas had glanced over at her and gave her a little half smile. "I'm alright...that guy just gets on my nerves you know," he had said, trying to placate her. She had only nodded, choosing to accept that answer instead of prodding him for the real reason for this sudden withdrawal from her. They both then entered the classroom and took their respective seats. Haley and Peyton had entered the class a couple minutes later. Kaiana had pushed both Lucas and Justin from her mind as she listened to her professor lecture. She had become so enthralled with her professor's lecture and his quick wit that the time had flown by quickly. Now 1st period was over and it was time for Homeroom. She groaned audibly. "Please oh please no drama today," she mumbled to herself as she placed her hand on the doornob.

"You know talking to yourself usually indicates dementia." Kaiana spun around to face the voice. She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Big words there Nathan," she commented. "Be careful. I don't want you to put too much of a strain on your brain muscles there. You know jocks don't have many to work with in the first place."

Nathan gave her a tight smile. "Well having a brilliant girlfriend helps with my vocabulary," he responded, forcing his voice to sound playful. "Now are you going to go inside or just block the doorway all day?" Kaiana's smile wilted and she looked at Nathan carefully. He was smirking at her, but something was off...almost like he was angry...annoyed maybe. She hoped she hadn't gone too far by making that jock comment. She didn't respond to his question, only turned around and entered the room quietly. She walked swiftly to her desk and sat down.

Nathan followed her into the classroom, taking note of the fact that she hadn't responded. He knew that his voice hadn't sounded as playful and cheery as he had wanted it too, but he had hoped it covered his anger. He hated the fact that he was constantly ribbed about his intelligence just because he was a jock. It was hard having a straight A student as a girlfriend. It made him always constantly wonder if he measured up to her. All he really had was basket ball. That was his one ticket to be able to attend a good college and make a life for himself. Having a half brother who got good grades as well didn't help the situation either. Still...those were his issues to deal with.

Now as he watched the young girl who was staring straight ahead, her back rigid and her teeth nibbling on her lower lip in a nervous manner, he knew that he had yet again taken a harmless joke a little too seriously. Nathan slowly trudged towards her, plopping down in the chair behind her. He said a quick hello to Jake and Tim. His eyes then strayed to Justin and Allen. He gave them both a slight nod of acknowledgement, before turning back around to face the front of the room. He pulled one of her curls gently. "I'm sorry," Nathan whispered, as he leaned forward.

Kaiana turned around to look at him. He was smiling at her and this time it was real. "It's okay...I'm the one who should say sorry," she replied softly. "It was a dumb thing to say. Sorry if I hurt your feelings."

Nathan shrugged. "It's cool," he told her. "Besides, it takes a lot more to hurt my feelings. You obviously haven't met my dad; otherwise you would already know this."

"Your dad is hard on you huh," Kaiana asked.

Nathan nodded. "You have no idea," he said scornfully, leaning back in his chair. "He was this great basketball player in high school and thinks he can relive his youth through me." He pulled his eyes away from her, as he felt a little uncomfortable talking about his father with someone he barely knew. "Anyway, he always rides me about my game...always telling me I have to be on top of my game to get a good scholarship. He doesn't care if my grades are good or not, but I do. That's why I work with Haley on some of my subjects that give me major problems." He grinned as he remembered that was how he had met his girlfriend in the first place. "That's how I met her...Haley...through her tutoring me."

"Hmm...funny...I figured you met her through Lucas," Kaiana commented casually. "She and Lucas are best friends aren't they?"

"Well...Lucas and I weren't exactly friends then," Nathan said uncomfortably. "Actually we hated each other then. It's actually because of Haley why we started talking civilly. We're not best friends, but we tolerate each other pretty well...for her sake."

"You tolerate each other," Kaiana said incredulously. "But you're brothers...you're family. What could have caused you guys to hate each other?" Her eyes widened at the expression that was now on Nathan's face. "Okay...you know what, that's none of my business. Never mind." She swept one of her curls out of her eyes and glanced at Jake. He was sitting at his desk, his eyes droopy with sleep. "Someone else besides me needs some coffee," she said, gesturing her hand to Jake, who then gave her a half hearted wave.

Nathan turned around and looked at Jake. "Yeah...he's always like that," said Nathan, laughing. He looked at Kaiana again. He knew she had just commented on Jake to change the subject and he silently thanked her for it. Talking about Lucas and his dad was hard for him. He still didn't understand why he had even brought up the subject of his dad with her. He hated talking about his dysfunctional family and usually avoided the topic at all costs, but he had found it harder and harder to avoid the issue these past couple weeks.

Feeling eyes on her, she turned to Nathan. He was staring at her...well more like through her. She waved a hand in front of his face and he jumped. "Sorry...I didn't mean to scare you," she said, releasing a light chuckle. "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine," Nathan replied. A slow smile appeared on his face; a movement that caused Kaiana to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. "So what's up with you and Lucas," he asked slyly, shifting the topic once again. "Every time I'm around you two I feel like I'm caught up in a romance novel. What's the deal?" He raised an eyebrow at her, leaning forward again slightly in his chair.

Kaiana averted her eyes. "Nothing," she said simply. "There's nothing going on. Why would you think there's something going on?" Tim snorted loudly which drew Kaiana's attention to him. 'She must think that we're blind or something,' Tim thought as he gave Kaiana a sweet smile and a small wave to counter the glare she was sending his way.

Nathan saw the way she was glaring at Tim and he chuckled softly. "Nothing huh," Nathan said teasingly. "That's why you and Lucas stare into each other's eyes with this dreamy look on your faces. Seems like a whole lot of something to me."

Kaiana sighed deeply. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, turning away from him. She then reached down in her tote bag and took out one of her textbooks and pretended to read its contents...anything to stray away from the Lucas topic.

Nathan chuckled at the way she turned around to face forward. If she wasn't into his brother, then why was she acting so guilty? Nathan for the life of him couldn't figure out why girls were suddenly so drawn to Lucas these days. His brother had attended the school for the same amount of years as everyone else and they were just now noticing him. He knew being on the basketball team brought you a certain amount of attention, but he hadn't realized just how powerful being on the team could make you until Lucas had joined.

His brother presently had the attention of yet another beautiful girl....Kaiana, except she didn't seem to be like the usual slutty fans that often flirted with the basketball team. There was something about her...something special. Even though he was deeply in love with Haley, he couldn't help admiring her in a way. Kaiana was beautiful and funny...tough too. She didn't let pricks like Justin scare her. There was something else though. He couldn't put his finger on it, but whatever it was, it had his brother all turned around. He hoped that Lucas would get off his butt and do something about it before someone else snapped her up. And there it was again. These disturbing caring feelings he seemed to be developing for his half brother.

He didn't know when it had happened, but now all of a sudden he was seeing Lucas in a whole new way. At first, he had only begun playing basketball with Lucas on the Riverside court; occasionally hanging out with him for Haley's benefit, but now things were different. It was as if he actually enjoyed spending time with his older brother. He snorted aloud at that thought. Lucas was only a couple months older, but it still didn't stop Nathan from thinking of him in that light...a light he had never thought of him in before. The bell to start 2nd period rang loudly, causing Nathan to grab his backpack off the floor. He slung it over his shoulder as he rose from his seat. He looked over at the curly haired girl who sat in front of him...someone who seemed to have become a friend to him in a short period of time. Nathan smiled, questioning when she would finally allow her eyes to rest on him again, knowing that he had embarrassed her with his inquiry about her and Lucas.

Kaiana rose from her seat as well, picking up her own bag off the floor and placing it on her shoulder. She snuck a glance at Nathan. He was standing there looking at her, apparently awaiting some sort of response from her. "What Nathan," she asked, her tone almost impatient. "You're looking at me like you expect me to say something. Just what do you want me to say?"

Nathan shrugged his hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans. "I would like you to admit that you have a crush on my brother for starters," he said bluntly. "Then you can tell me why it seems to bother you so much that you _do_ have this crush."

"I don't have a crush---," she began before she was interrupted with a "yes she does, although I don't know why." Kaiana growled under her breath. "You know what Justin, no one asked for your opinion," she said between clenched teeth, shooting daggers at the boy who seemed determined to intrude on her life. Kaiana moved her eyes to Nathan. "Let's go Nathan, before I have to throttle Mr. Dickhead over here."

"Well...touchy aren't we for someone who doesn't have a crush," Justin said, smiling at the irritation on Kaiana's face. "I never did understand what it is about these Scott brothers. All the women just seem to go crazy over them. I just don't get it." Justin's smile faded as his eyes strayed to Nathan. He couldn't understand what the big deal was about the Scotts. Girls fawned over them, teachers bowed down to them; even the coach seemed to be half in love with them. But why? What the hell was so special about them? Justin's eyes returned to the pretty girl standing in front of him, currently sending him a glare. He wondered if she realized how sexy she was when she was angry. If he could just get her away from the Scotts, then he knew he could make her his.

"I'm loving the curls, by the way," Justin continued nonchalantly. "It makes you look absolutely adorable. Although, you would look more adorable on my arm." He took a step closer to her, taking a moment to inhale the delicate scent of her perfume.

Nathan looked at Justin incredulously. Either this guy was incredibly stupid or incredibly brave, because there was no other reason to explain why he was intentionally trying to start something after yesterday. Nathan kept his hands firmly entrenched in his pockets. He knew if he didn't he would end up grabbing Justin and beating the hell out of him. If Justin took one step closer to Kaiana, though, Nathan swore that he wouldn't be able to control himself. He looked over at Kaiana and he knew she was feeling something close to what he was feeling, judging from the way her eyes were narrowing.

Kaiana dragged a hand through her hair tiredly. She was too tired to deal with this crap. "Justin I'm going to do you a favor and walk away now before I do something I'll regret," she said evenly. "I'm not exactly sure what your deal is, but I don't want to know. What I do want is for you to stay the hell away from me. As for my supposed crush on Lucas, well that's none of your damn business. As far as I'm concerned, I can hook up with whoever the hell I want. But trust me, it will never ever be you." With that she pushed past Justin and walked out of the classroom.

Nathan chuckled at the expression on Justin's face. "What's the matter dude," he asked playfully. "Not used to getting shot down huh. Sorry about that...it will get better though. Maybe you should start shooting a little lower on the totem pole, because Kaiana is definitely out of your league man." Nathan slapped Justin on the back as he walked past him, making sure it was hard enough to resound through the almost empty classroom, smiling cockily at the slight wince the slap brought forth from Justin.

"But she's in the league of the Scott brothers right bro," Justin called out just as Nathan was about to step through the doorway.

Nathan turned around and gave Justin the same cocky grin. "Obviously," he said simply. "You know if I were you I would cut my losses now and just give up. I mean if she _was_ in your league, then why would she be hanging with us instead of with you? Think about that..._bro_." Nathan then wiggled his fingers in a playful wave at his teammate, which got him a middle finger waved in his direction. Nathan only laughed and left the classroom, leaving behind a steaming Justin.

"Hey man you alright," Allen asked carefully as he came to stand beside his friend. Justin nodded absently, his eyes still staring at the empty doorway. Then without warning he just walked away, not even looking back to see if Allen was following him. Allen adjusted his bag higher on his shoulder and let loose a small sigh. It looked like today had the potential to be another drama day, in spite of the talk he had given to Justin yesterday afternoon.

Justin had changed so much that Allen wasn't sure who he was anymore. Justin had never been a very friendly person, but he had never been as outwardly rude as he had become over the past year. Ever since they had made it on the basketball team, Justin had changed. Before they had been nobodies...just two normal high school boys. Now they had popularity and had dated some of the prettiest girls in school. They usually could have almost any girl they wanted...almost. This brought him to the subject at hand...the new girl. Justin was just a little too into this girl and he had only met her the previous day. She had been all Justin had talked about when they had been hanging out at Allen's house yesterday. That fact disturbed him. Justin had never been so obsessed with one girl before...until now.

Allen felt his stomach clench at the depth of coldness he had just seen in Justin's eyes. Justin had become more than just rude; sometimes he was just downright scary. And now was one of those times. He wondered if he should warn the Scotts or Kaiana for that matter. He rid his mind of that thought quickly. He couldn't do that. That would be betrayal and he couldn't do that to Justin. The boy who he had grown up with was still in there...somewhere. Justin was still his best friend, no matter what. He just hoped that 'no matter what' would never come to pass. Because then...he didn't know what side he would choose.

**Note: Here's another chapter. Feedback keeps me energized guys! Thanks for all the support so far.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Facing the Second Day Pt. 3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters. I only own my original characters.**

"So Kaiana did you enjoy History as much as I did," Nathan asked dryly as the two students exited the classroom. He rubbed his eyes wearily, fighting the sleep that most of classes always seemed to encourage. He hated school with a passion, especially the more boring subjects...case in point...Geometry. He understood that math was important, but what he just couldn't understand was why it was so utterly boring...and confusing. He looked over at the girl who walked next to him, noticing that she had not responded to his attempt at humor. "Hey...what's wrong," he asked, becoming more concerned about how quiet she was. Ever since they had left Homeroom, she had seemed a little distant.

Kaiana finally glanced at the handsome brunette who had been trying to get her attention. "Nothing's wrong," she said simply, returning her gaze forward. They came upon the lockers and Nathan followed her until she came to her own. He leaned against the locker next to hers and watched as she fumbled with her lock. She finally managed to get it open, not without muttering a few curses, and retrieved one of her textbooks. She then took her English text out of her bag and placed that inside the locker, before shutting and locking it back. Nathan regarded her quietly the entire time, waiting for her to speak again, somehow knowing that she would add something else to the _nothing's wrong_ statement she had just made.

Kaiana leaned her shoulder against her locker and finally let her eyes meet his again. "Really Nathan...nothing's wrong," she stated. She sighed at the disbelieving look he gave her. "Okay...yeah something is wrong but---," she broke off when she saw Lucas coming down the hall laughing with Brooke. Kaiana'a stomach somersaulted at the way Brooke was clutching Lucas's arm. She knew that feeling in her stomach. It was jealousy and she hated it. Just then Lucas pulled his eyes away from Brooke and the laughter died on his lips when he saw her. Brooke noticed the change in his demeanor and her eyes flew to the target of Lucas's attention. She smirked to herself and pulled on his arm, hurrying him down the hall towards their friends.

"Hey guys...what's up," Brooke greeted cheerfully, casually dropping Lucas's arm. Brooke then looked at Kaiana, noting the expression on her new friend's face was anything but happy. "Hey chica...what's wrong," she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"That's what I was just trying to find out," Nathan said, looking at Kaiana meaningfully before meeting his brother's concerned eyes. A thought just occurred to him that maybe he did know what was wrong after all. He would bet money that Justin was the cause of the change in Kaiana's mood. Maybe he and Lucas needed to have a little chat with Justin.

Lucas looked from his brother to Kaiana as he tried to figure out what was going on. Something had happened since he last saw her. He came closer to her, ignoring the heat that was growing inside him from being in such close proximity to her, his only concern right now to find out what had caused this sudden change in her mood. "Everything okay," he asked her softly. She nodded in answer. "Are you sure," he continued, not satisfied with that response at all. She nodded again. "Okay...is there a reason why you've become a mute," he asked, his tone more playful. He received a smile for his effort.

Kaiana looked over at Nathan, who gave her a pointed look. She had just been about to explain to Nathan her frustration with Justin 'the prick' when she had seen Lucas and Brooke. After witnessing Lucas's temper twice, both incidents involving Justin, she didn't think it would be a good idea to talk about that issue with him. "Sorry it's just some stuff...you know...nothing major," she replied, allowing her eyes to return to Lucas's blue ones. "It's no big deal...really."

Lucas looked at her intently and then at his brother. "Okay," he said calmly. He heard a familiar voice and his eyes followed the sound; pupils narrowing at seeing Justin down the hall engaged in a conversation with a couple other members of the team, his kiss-ass friend Allen standing as always by his side. Then something occurred to Lucas. "Did something happen in homeroom again Kaiana...with Justin," he asked, returning his gaze to her.

Kaiana closed her eyes in frustration. She had heard the familiar voice too, but had refused to turn around, not wanting to see Justin's irritating face again so soon. "Actually yeah, but it was nothing," she said wearily. "I'm just a little tired today and Justin is in prick mode, but really it's cool. Justin is just a little...shall we say persistent." She then looked over at Brooke. "I'm fine really...he's just so annoying."

Brooke nodded in agreement. "Yeah...I get that," she replied, shaking her hair out of her eyes. "He thinks he's god's gift ever since he joined the team. I can't stand him." Brooke gave a little shudder. "Frankly, he gives me the creeps," she added softly.

Lucas took in a deep breath to calm himself. "So he's still bothering you," he asked, trying to keep his voice even as his eyes strayed to Justin again.

"He apparently can't take no for an answer," Kaiana remarked sarcastically, forcing a small chuckle from her lips. "He's just a little too pushy, but he'll back off sooner or later. He'll get tired of this annoying chasing thing he's doing." Kaiana looked at Lucas closely. She sensed that Lucas wasn't as calm as he was trying to appear. His eyes had gotten so cold and they seemed to be focused on someone behind her. And she knew who that someone was. She looked around and groaned when she saw it was indeed Justin who Lucas was looking at....make that glaring at. "Lucas...Lucas," she called, tugging on his hand to get his attention. His eyes returned to hers, some of the coldness now gone, but with a slight tinge of anger still remaining. "It's alright," she told him, her voice taking on a pleading tone. "So stop shooting daggers at him okay. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

Lucas glanced down at the floor, slightly embarrassed. "Okay...sorry," he said softly. "That guy just pisses me off sometimes." He met her eyes once more. "I just thought after this morning that I had made myself clear. Now I find out he's still messing with you. I can't help it if I just feel like kicking his ass." He inhaled deeply and placed his hands in his pockets.

Nathan chuckled. "Believe me...I know the feeling," he said. "The guy can't take a hint. He's always had a problem with us Luke...because we're the infamous 'Scotts' as he likes to call us. And now a girl who he likes is hanging with us. It's making him act even more obnoxious than he usually does."

"Jeez I didn't think anyone could be more obnoxious than you Nathan," Brooke said, flashing Nathan a cheeky grin. "I have to agree with you though. He seems to have a special spot in his heart for the 'Scotts' and now you're taking away a potential conquest for him."

"What...there's no potential in him getting with Kaiana," Lucas said vehemently. He flushed slightly, realizing that he had said that out loud. "I mean...she's obviously not into him...so...you know...he should leave her alone," he continued on awkwardly. "Aren't there any other single girls that he could try to date?"

Brooke's eyes brightened. "I've got it...I've got a solution to this," she said happily looking from Lucas to Kaiana. "Why can't the both of you just pretend to be together? Then he would think Kaiana is off limits and back off." Brooke crossed her arms over her chest and mentally patted herself on the back for her ingenuity.

Nathan burst out laughing, seeing the surprised expression on Kaiana's face. "I think it's a great idea," he said, his blue eyes gleaming with mischief. "Don't you agree Kaiana?" He grinned at her stupidly, raising a brow at her.

"Are the two of you out of your minds," Kaiana asked incredulously. She looked at Lucas. "They can't be serious...right Lucas...Lucas?" Wait a minute. Did he agree with them? He wasn't answering her and he appeared to be actually considering the idea. "Lucas it's a crazy idea...right," she continued, a note of desperation entering her voice.

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know," he told her. "It might not be such a bad idea. I mean you're new in town, so of course Justin sees you as fresh meat and he's probably not the only one. If he thought you were seeing someone else then he might give you space." He looked at her hopefully. This wasn't exactly the way he would have seen them getting together, but at least it was a start. Maybe pretending for a while could actually lead to the real thing. "Come on...it's worth a try," he said, pulling on one of her curls jokingly.

Kaiana looked at Lucas like he had lost all his marbles. He couldn't possibly be serious about this. She narrowed her eyes, peering at him closely. Correction...he was serious. "Lucas...I don't know about this," she replied uneasily. "Suppose we're not convincing enough. Suppose he doesn't care if I'm dating someone. He may still try to make a play for me anyway."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah he might still try, but we can only hope he won't," he responded. "We have to do something and this is the only non-violent way I can think of. He obviously doesn't understand words, so maybe action will do it...just of the non-violent kind." Lucas looked again at Justin, who all of a sudden was staring in their direction, almost as if he knew that he was the topic of discussion. "I'm serious here Kaiana. I'm seconds away from causing that guy pain. This way Justin will stay bruise free and I will stay suspension free."

Kaiana shook her head. "I can't believe I'm actually considering this," she said, feeling herself relenting. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright...fine. Anything to get that guy off my back. Are you sure you're cool with this Lucas? Isn't this going to mess you up with...you know...girls that may be interested in you?" She felt a small tinge of irritation at the thought of Lucas dating someone else, which just made her more irritated with herself for even feeling that way.

Lucas gazed down the hallway again, watching Justin and their fellow teammates get closer and closer to them. He then looked down at Kaiana and gave her a sweet smile. "Don't worry about other girls," he said, pulling her closer to him as he ran a hand down her cheek. "Trust me. You're the only one I'm interested in." He then felt a sense of bravery. He placed both hands on her hips and leaned down, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "Sorry...Justin's coming this way," he whispered in her ear. He felt her nod and he pulled back to look at her face, his hands still resting on her hips. He almost laughed out loud upon seeing how wide her brown eyes were. Lucas then glanced at his brother and Brooke, who even though had agreed with the idea heartily, now appeared shocked at what he just did. Then he looked up and Justin was standing there, their teammates standing a little ways behind talking animatedly. Justin was not a happy camper.

"Well...what happened to I don't have a crush," Justin said scornfully, his eyes filled with hatred as they were drawn to where Lucas's hands were. "You have a hard time staying away from Pucas over here for someone without a crush."

Lucas looked at Justin calmly, but refused to strike out, even though hearing that old nick name Nathan had given him boiled his blood. Instead, he pulled back from Kaiana and leaned against the lockers. He then grabbed her hand and pulled her to lean back against his body, smiling defiantly at Justin as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Kaiana surprised him by placing her own two hands on top of his.

"You know Justin...I also remember telling you the subject of Lucas and I is none of your business," Kaiana said harshly, as she leaned her head back against Lucas's shoulder. "Whatever is between me and Lucas is exactly that...between me and Lucas." She released a shaky giggle when Lucas nuzzled her neck. "Now be gone Ass-tin."

Nathan and Brooke burst into laughter. "Come on man," Allen said, not joining in on the laughter he heard coming from his teammates. "Let's just go. It's not worth it man." He pulled on Justin's arm, trying to lead him away before something happened.

Justin shrugged Allen's hand off him, his glare growing even stronger as he heard the snickering behind him. "You know maybe you're right," he said finally. "If she wants to be with Pucas, then who am I to stop her." With one more glare thrown in Nathan and Lucas's direction, he began walking away with Allen following dutifully behind him.

"Man y'all sure pissed him off," one of the boys said, releasing another chuckle as he stared at Justin's retreating form. "You guys better watch your back."

Nathan scoffed. "Please, are we supposed to be scared of that jerk," he asked cockily. "I'll just be over here pretending to shiver in my shoes." He laughed out loud again. "I think even Brooke can take that guy."

"Damn right," Brooke said firmly. "Anyway my work here is done." She looked at the couple who still hadn't moved away from each other yet. "I'll see you two love birds later. Come on Nate...we got class." Brooke then looked pointedly at the remaining teammates that were gazing at Lucas and Kaiana curiously. "You too jocks...don't you have classes to get to?" Brooke grabbed Nathan's arm and began dragging him down the hallway, looking back to see if the 'jocks' had indeed moved away from Kaiana and Lucas to give them some privacy. When she saw that they were following behind her and Nathan, she turned back around and prodded Nathan to walk faster, realizing that they only had another minute before the bell rang for 3rd period.

Lucas felt Kaiana tense as soon as the group moved away from them. He knew the reality of the situation was crashing down on her, the euphoria of irritating Justin now wearing off. Yet she hadn't moved away from him. And he wasn't complaining. Having her pressed up against him felt so good...so right. It had been a while since he had allowed himself to get so close physically to another girl; not since his last couple dating disasters. But he knew it was time. It was time for him to open himself up to the possibility of maybe getting into another relationship. As he breathed in the faint floral scent of her perfume, he knew that she was the one he wanted to open up to. All he had to do was convince Kaiana that this pretend relationship they had just started could turn into something more meaningful.

**Note: Crunked out another chapter. I'll try to wrap up the second day in the next chapter. Feedback is always appreciated!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Facing the Second Day Pt. 4**

**Disclaimer: I do not now nor did I ever own any of the One Tree Hill characters.**

_Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. It was my first attempt at writing fan fiction and that means a lot to me that people appreciate my work. Special thanks to tardychick06 and Dracos-wife, who have reviewed my story the most and have given me so much encouragement (Especially you Dracos-wife, because you have been there since I was under another name). To Aragon-lover4, OTHlover04, BHappy107, X-identaty, I appreciate your reviews as well! On to the story..._

Kaiana closed her eyes, sighing deeply from the conflicting feelings raging inside her. It felt so good to be held by Lucas, but another part of her was screaming that this was all wrong. She thought she had made her decision, that she would avoid any entanglements, at least until she got her life into some semblance of order. But now she was beginning to realize just how hard it would be to stick to that decision. She let out a small chuckle at the irony of her agreeing to start a relationship, in spite of her vow to not get into any. The relationship was only for pretend...for show...but still. She slowly disentangled herself from Lucas and turned around to face him. She laughed softly again at how much drama she had allowed herself to become involved in and it was only her second day of school.

Lucas raised a brow as he stared at her, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops. "What's so funny," he asked softly.

"Nothing...it's just---," she began uncertainly. "It's just this is only my second day of school and I've managed to gain a sort of stalker and a _pretend_ boyfriend. Isn't there something wrong with this picture?"

Lucas frowned slightly at the term 'pretend', but then quickly caught himself and smiled instead. "Nope...nothing wrong here," he joked. "See that's how I know you're new to Tree Hill. Haven't you heard that all the weird stuff usually happens in small towns? You're stuck in the twilight zone now."

Kaiana snorted. "Who you tellin'," she responded. "I seem to have a front seat for all the new episodes." They both stood uncomfortably staring at each other, before the bell rung. "Anyway...I have to get to class so..." she trailed off, feeling that same awkwardness that always surrounded them.

Lucas nodded, shifting on his feet. "Yeah sure...so I'll see you at lunch," he questioned hopefully. She nodded wordlessly and took off down the hall before he could even say goodbye. Lucas dropped his head backwards and his head hit the back of the locker with a thud. He cursed himself for jumping into something so stupid. He was never one to be impulsive, so he didn't know what he had been thinking. The couple times he had a stroke of impulsiveness had always ended in catastrophe and now here he was making the same mistakes all over again. He had just been so angry at Justin and his possessive instincts had taken over. He wanted Kaiana for himself, he admitted that now, but the way he was going about it wasn't right. Lucas sighed and pushed himself off the locker and began heading down the hallway to class. He would try to talk to Kaiana about _it_ later.

* * *

Nathan burst out laughing at something idiotic that Tim had said, throwing a piece of crust from his sandwich at his friend. "You're such a bonehead Tim," he said, his body still shaking with laughter. He couldn't understand how a guy could play basketball so well, but yet still be so stupid. Nathan was no genius, but Tim just managed to say things that made absolutely no sense. Tim was currently trying to explain to everyone at the table how much better short guys were than taller guys at sex...saying something about 'they had to make up for their height somewhere'. Nathan noted that Tim actually seemed to have convinced himself that was he was saying was true.

Peyton made a rude noise and looked at Brooke in disbelief. "Is he serious," she asked incredulously, a small giggle escaping her lips. Brooke nodded vigorously in between her own giggles, leaning her head down on her friend's shoulder to support herself. Peyton laughed harder, Brooke's infections laughter urging her on. Peyton's gaze strayed to Haley, who was sitting so close to Nathan that they looked practically attached, and she saw her friend's mouth twitching at the corner while she rolled her eyes playfully.

Haley hadn't joined in the laughter, but she was obviously amused at 'Tim's new theory'. Then she locked eyes with Peyton and that was all it took for her to explode into laughter herself. This was why they loved Tim. He could always be counted on to make their lunch hour interesting, even if the jokes were sometimes at his expense. The only person who was not joining in on the laughter was Lucas, his own troubled thoughts preventing him from enjoying the joke.

* * *

Kaiana listened with only half an ear to what Jake was saying, her thoughts focused on something else important. She had bumped into Jake in the hallway and they had both decided to just walk together towards the cafeteria. She was so confused and this new situation with Lucas was not making it any better. It was bad enough that every time she was even remotely close to Lucas, hell just looking at him, caused a blast of heat to go through her. And somehow she knew that Lucas was attracted to her too. That thought both electrified and scared her.

"Hey are you even listening," Jake asked, nudging Kaiana with his elbow gently. She did not respond. Jake chuckled, as he waved his hand frantically in front of her face. "Are you ignoring me on purpose," he asked teasingly. Kaiana jumped and Jake placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Hey I didn't mean to scare you," he told her. "Are you okay?"

Kaiana released a shaky laugh. "Yeah...I'm...fine...just a little...distracted," she responded, catching his concerned eyes. At his now amused expression, she laughed again. "Okay so maybe more than a little distracted," she added. "Just got some stuff on my mind."

"Hmm...would that stuff have anything to with dating Lucas," Jake asked casually. They were just about to enter the cafeteria, but Jake stopped with his hand paused on the door handle when he realized she was not next to him anymore. He turned around and chuckled again. Kaiana was standing a few feet away, rooted to the spot, her mouth hanging open. "So I'm guessing you don't know about the rumors," he concluded, his head cocking to the side.

Kaiana shook her head wildly in answer. "Is that what everyone is saying," she questioned, closing the distance between her and Jake. Jake nodded, a small smile still on his lips. "Oh god...you have got to be kidding me," she blurted out, placing a hand on her hip.

"Nope," Jake responded simply. "That's what I heard in fourth period...that Lucas is dating the 'new girl', which would be you. So are you denying it?"

"Well no...we are...kind of...you know...but not really," she stuttered. Kaiana closed her eyes in frustration. "It's complicated," she finished weakly.

"Really," Jake commented, raising a brow mockingly. "How exactly does one 'kind of" date? Can you explain that to me?"

Kaiana debated on whether or not she should explain to Jake about the 'pretend relationship', but then quickly made her decision not to. The less people who knew about this...the better. "I can't really explain," she said finally.

Jake shrugged. "I'm just kidding around," he replied. "You don't have to explain anything to me. Come on. Let's just go meet up with the guys." Jake pulled on the door handle and held the door open while Kaiana entered the cafeteria, before entering himself. The both of them said nothing further until they got to the table. Kaiana and Jake both turned to look at each at the same time, wondering what the hell was going on as most of the people seated at the table were giggling uncontrollably.

Jake slid in on the bench next to Peyton, throwing her a smirk. "What did we miss," he asked her. Peyton forced herself to stop laughing, but a loud snort escaped instead. "Sorry," she said finally, her mouth still twitching. "Tim was telling us about another one of his theories." Jake rolled his eyes and then looked over at his teammate. He should have known Tim was the cause of the hysterics at their table. His eyes looked up and noticed Kaiana was still standing there looking quite uncomfortable, her eyes directed of course at Lucas. Jake leaned forward, resting his arms on the table as he peered around Brooke and Peyton's heads to look at his friend curiously, who was running his hand through his hair nervously, furtively glancing at Kaiana and then pulling his eyes away. For a couple that was supposed to be dating, they didn't look so friendly. As soon as that thought entered Jake's mind, Lucas got up from the bench and faced Kaiana, as if he somehow read Jake's mind.

Lucas lifted a hand to touch her, but then pulled his hand back quickly. "Hey," he said softly, allowing a small smile to form. She smiled back, but didn't answer. Her eyes floated to every member of the table, who had now quieted down and was openly watching her and Lucas, before returning back to look into his blue eyes. "Hey," she answered back shyly. She knew that they would probably have to act like a couple whenever they were around each other in public, but right now with everyone staring, felt weird. His eyes were now silently asking her if she was okay...if she was okay with what they had agreed. She gave a slight nod and Lucas closed the distance between them, placing his arms around her waist and kissing her gently on her cheek.

Kaiana wound her own arms around his neck, as she fought the heat that she felt on her face. Lucas held her a little longer and then he withdrew from her, taking her hand in his. He took her tote bag off her shoulder and held it for her, while she sat down. Lucas resumed his seat after he set her bag down on the window sill behind him. He tried to ignore the stares that were directed at them, as he placed an arm around her shoulders to give her a comforting squeeze. She stiffened slightly, but then immediately relaxed. She startled him then by leaning her head on his shoulder. Lucas inhaled sharply, the fresh scent of her hair invading his nostrils, suddenly making it hard for him to breathe.

Nathan smirked at the expression on his brother's face. He so had it bad for that girl. "Luke man you alright," he asked nonchalantly, his eyes glimmering with mischief.

Lucas glared at his brother for a second, biting the inside of his cheek to not respond with a rude remark. "I'm fine," he replied evenly.

"You sure...you look a little...hot," Nathan commented impishly. "How about you Kaiana? Everything okay over there?" Kaiana glared at Nathan briefly, refusing to answer, instead closing her eyes to block his arrogant face from her view. He knew damn well what was going on and he was deliberately bating her and Lucas. After the probing questions Nathan had fired at her today, this was the last thing she had expected to transpire. She had denied that she had a thing for Lucas and now here she was, laying her head on his shoulder, while he held her close to his side. Nathan was probably pretty satisfied with himself now, thinking that he had indeed been right. Kaiana fought the urge to jump across the table and ring his neck. She didn't have to fight that hard because she was completely exhausted...and she still had three more periods to go.

"Nate everything's fine," Lucas said between clenched teeth, wishing that his brother would just lay off so that they could just go back to enjoying their lunch hour.

"Yeah apparently it is," Nathan responded, his grin flashing brightly at his brother. He felt Haley nudge him in his side. "What's up," he asked her, his smile still wide. Haley gave him a pointed look. "Why don't you ask Luke...it's his business," he told her.

"Um...Luke...what's," Haley faltered, her brown eyes wide with curiosity. She had been trying to play match maker yesterday, but she hadn't expected it to work...and so fast. Nathan obviously knew what was going on between Lucas and Kaiana, judging from his smirk, but he had left her out of the loop. She couldn't push down the small sense of annoyance she felt at that. She had wanted Lucas and Nathan to become closer...she really did...but not if they were going to keep things from her.

"Are you guys like together now," Tim asked abruptly, not waiting for Haley to continue. Haley glared at Tim for his bluntness. "What...like you weren't thinking the same thing," he said brusquely.

Haley blew out a breath of irritation, glancing at Lucas again. "Luke, what Tim is trying to say is, that yesterday you guys just met and now you're well---," Haley began uncertainly, before Lucas cut her off.

"We're dating," Lucas said hastily. He glanced down at the female pressed up against his side, who had her eyes closed. "At least we're going to try to," he continued softly. "It's still new...you know."

"Uh huh," Haley, said skeptically.

Lucas sighed loudly. "Hales, can we talk about this later please," he asked, a little too harshly. Haley bit her lip at the tone in his voice. "We'll talk later...I promise," he added more gently. Haley only nodded and turned her attention back to her sandwich. The table was left in an uncomfortable silence that stretched on for a couple more minutes...until Tim started explaining his 'new theory' again. Soon the table was once again filled with occasional laughter and chatter, the subject of the Lucas and Kaiana temporarily forgotten. Even Haley joined in on the laughter, although she was still annoyed with both Nathan and Lucas for keeping such a big secret from her. But Lucas was her best friend and he usually had good sense of judgment. She would just have to trust his decision to jump into relationship so fast...again.

One person, however, was not partaking in the conversation. Peyton chewed her sandwich slowly, the particles suddenly feeling like sawdust in her mouth. She was only eating mechanically, not really tasting her meal at all. She thought her feelings for Lucas were gone. Judging by the knot pooling in her stomach caused by Lucas's recent 'announcement', they weren't.

**Note: Finally another update. Sorry I always take so long, but don't give up on me yet guys. Please provide feedback.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Facing the Second Day Pt. 5**

**Disclaimer: I do not now nor did I ever own any of the One Tree Hill characters.**

Kaiana pushed against the main doors and exited the school, a breath of air releasing from her lungs loudly. She bounded down the stairs and walked briskly to her truck. She was so tired and all she wanted to do right now was go straight to bed. The weariness from the day and the lack of sleep from the previous night was bearing down on her, making her feel sluggish and listless. She had barely managed to pay attention to her last classes because of how tired she felt. As she sat down in the driver's seat, she allowed her head to drop back onto the headrest for a moment. She grimaced, remembering she had done this exact thing just yesterday afternoon. If all her days at Tree Hill High were going to end like this, then she needed stronger vitamins.

She sat up straighter and placed her key in the ignition. She pulled out of the parking lot, reaching over first to turn on the radio, and began making her way home. Her fingers tapped on the steering wheel idly to the beat of the music pumping out of the stereo as she drove. Her mind began focusing again on her dilemma. What was she going to do? First, she had lied to the people who had befriended her when she was new to town, choosing not to tell them who she really was. And now she was involved in a fake relationship with a guy she had only known for about two days. How would they react when they find out about her? How would Lucas react? Would he be mad at her for keeping her real identity a secret? Of course he would. She knew she would have been if she was in his position. She hated liars and now she had become one.

Minutes later she pulled into the garage of her house and she jumped out of the vehicle. She entered the house through the door in the garage leading to the hallway in front of the den. She continued walking until she came to the stairs leading to the bedrooms. She sank down wearily on the stairs and leaned her head down on her knees, her body feeling too tired to attempt climbing the stairs at that moment. Why the hell did her life have to get so complicated? Wasn't losing her parents enough stress to deal with? Now she had all this stuff at school to put up with and there was no one home to complain about it too. She couldn't come home to her mom and tell her about her day. She couldn't ask her father for advice. For the millionth time, she asked God why he had taken her parents away from her. Why did she only realize how important they were to her after she had lost them? Tears rolled down her cheeks, the truth hitting her again that she was virtually alone.

The shrilling sound of her cell phone ringing awakened her. She released an audible groan, her hands automatically reaching under her comforter to unhook the phone from her jeans, if only to stop the incessant noise. "Yeah," she answered gruffly. Brookes' cheerful voice coming through the phone made her mouth lift in a small smile. "I'm at home Brooke," Kaiana said tiredly.

Brooke honked her horn at a particularly slow driver in front of her. "Are you all alone or is Lucas there," she asked slyly. The huge sigh that she heard in her ear caused a small laugh to escape her. "Is that a yes or no," she prodded. Brooke frowned at the answer. "Well why isn't he there," she questioned tentatively. "Aren't you guys supposed to be couple now?"

Kaiana sighed again and forced herself into a seated position, leaning her back against the headboard of her bed. "Brooke was there a point to this call," she asked bluntly, avoiding Brooke's question. "I'm kind of tired. It was a long day you know." She glanced over at the clock next to her, noting that it was only 6:00 p.m.

"Well actually I was calling to see if you came up with a routine yet," Brooke questioned eagerly. "Remember...try outs are on Friday and tomorrow _is_ Thursday. Just checking to see if you're ready." Silence echoed through the line. "Kaiana you did at least think of a routine right," she pressed. Again she was met with silence. Brooke bit the inside of her cheek. "Did you change your mind about trying out for the dance squad?"

"No...no I didn't," Kaiana replied honestly, fingering one of her curls absentmindedly. "I just haven't had time. I was reading over the notes from English last night and today I just went straight to sleep as soon as I came home. I haven't even started my homework yet."

"Well, do you need some help," Brooke asked hopefully. "I'm doing anything now. I can come over and help you come up with a routine." Brooke raised a brow at the lack of response. "Kaiana....you there?"

"Yeah I'm here," she replied quietly. "Uhh...sure...come on over. Right now I'll need all the help I can get."

"Okay...great," Brooke answered excitedly. "I'm on the road now. Just give me your address and I'll be right over." Brooke adjusted the earpiece onto her ear as she listened carefully to Kaiana's response. "Umm...I think I know where that is. I should be there in there in 10. See you soon." With that Brooke reached over and clicked the off button on her phone, smiling to herself softly. She couldn't believe that they had a real life celebrity living in Tree Hill. Brooke still couldn't believe that she seemed to be the only one that recognized who Kaiana was. She knew Haley wasn't really into beauty and fashion magazines, but damn, did the girl live under a rock. And what about Peyton? The blonde sometimes read those types of magazines. Brooke knew this to be a fact, because she herself and laid down next to Peyton on her bed many afternoons discussing the various topics contained in the publications, ranging from fashion to hair care tips to the different celebrities that graced the covers. 

And yet Peyton still seemed to be as clueless about Kaiana's identity as the rest of them..._them_ being the boys. She didn't really expect them to know who Kaiana was. After all, how many guys read "Teen People" and "Marie Claire"? None that she could think of, not even sensitive guys like Lucas read those. Brooke smiled even wider at the thought of Lucas. It felt so great to be able to just hang out with him again without all the anger and resentment. Lucas had hurt her...very badly...back when they were dating, but with time and Haley's encouragement, she had slowly forgiven him. She knew he was genuinely sorry for what he had done with Peyton and that fact helped her to welcome him back into her life, even if they could only be friends now. She had long accepted the fact that they were just not meant to be and that they were better off being friends.

It was odd how the thought of him hooking up with someone else didn't bring forth any jealous feelings. She only now wanted him to be happy. It had been several months since Lucas had even looked at another girl. It seemed like he had cut himself off from the dating completely. A frown now crossed the pretty brunette's face. Lucas was too wonderful of a guy to be so alone. He had his friends and his new developing relationship with his brother, but Brooke was sure he needed more than that. That was why she had decided that she would help him find happiness. And she was sure he would find it in their new 'town member'. The tricky part was just convincing both of them...convincing both Kaiana and Lucas that their mutual attraction to each other was real and that it was worth attempting to explore that attraction. Brooke knew intuitively that Kaiana would be the hardest to convince, especially since she seemed inclined to hide her true identity from everyone.

Finally, Brooke drove up the driveway in front of Kaiana's garage and hopped out of the vehicle, first picking up her cell phone and grabbing her duffel bag from the back seat. Brooke jogged up to the front door and rang the bell. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the door to be opened. She stood there for a couple more minutes, before she dialed Kaiana's number. "Hey I'm outside...can't you hear me ringing the bell," Brooke said into her earpiece. "Alright sorry...guess I'm a little impatient," Brooke responded dryly. She then said goodbye and clicked her cell phone off. Minutes later the door flung open revealing a very tired looking teenager.

Brooke walked past her new friend into the house, her brown eyes taking in the bareness of the living room area. Sure there was a scattering of furniture, but the room lacked something. It just didn't look homey. She spun around to face Kaiana, a frown coming across her face instantly. "Hey you sure you're okay," Brooke asked carefully. "I mean not to be a bitch, but you look like hell."

Kaiana chuckled. "Thanks a lot Brooke," she replied wryly, dragging a hand through her messy curls. "But to answer your question, no I'm not okay and I know I look like hell. I sure feel like it." Kaiana dropped down onto the couch and curled her feet under her. Brooke in turn dropped her duffle bag on the rug and plopped down next to her.

"What's wrong chica," Brooke questioned. "You've been a little out of it all day, especially at lunch. You barely spoke. Is it Justin? Did he start something again...well...since last time?"

Kaiana shook her head. "No it's not him," she answered, her eyes down on her lap. "It's just...a lot of stuff. You know...school...the move...being in a new place. I guess everything just feels like too much to handle."

Brooke nodded in understanding. "Yeah I get that," she replied. "But---," Brooke hedged, not sure if she should just take the leap and ask what she really wanted. "Could it be also the fact that you just moved to a new place....alone?" Okay it was out. She said it...and there was no turning back.

Kaiana's head sprang upwards, her eyes catching Brooke's gaze, the brown orbs showing signs of apprehension. "What are you talking about," she asked shakily.

Brooke sighed. "Kaiana, I think you know what I'm talking about," she told her softly. "I know. I know who you really are."

Kaiana closed her eyes briefly, before re-opening them. "I had a feeling that you recognized me," she said quietly. "I wasn't sure though." She stared into Brookes eyes pleadingly. "Please don't tell anyone...not yet. I just need to get myself settled before I can deal with any of the celebrity drama. I just want to stay a nobody a little longer."

"I won't say anything...I promise," Brooke said sincerely, placing a hand over Kaiana's hand. "But you know that it will be okay right. The guys won't treat you differently if they know."

"Really...isn't that the reason why you even introduced yourself in the first place," Kaiana remarked harshly, pulling her hand away. "You recognized me right off the bat. I saw it...in your eyes. Isn't that why you even bothered to speak to me...because I'm a 'supposed' celebrity?"

Brooke bit her lip nervously. "Yeah...that's why," she said reluctantly. "You have to understand. I'm a spontaneous, outgoing person. I saw a celebrity in front of me and I did the first thing I could think of...I went up to you and spoke. But I'm glad I did, because you are _so_ down to earth." Brooke paused, searching for more words to reassure Kaiana. "Forget about the reason; let's just deal with the here and now. Right now at this moment, I'm just glad that you're my friend because you seem to be a great person. Yes it's still exciting for me to be even talking to you, but you're still just my friend Kaiana...at least I hope you are.

"Yes...yes I am your friend," Kaiana replied, sighing heavily. "Sorry I jumped all over you. I'm taking out my frustrations on you and you don't deserve it."

Brooke reached out her hand tentatively and took Kaiana's hand in hers again. "It's alright...I'll live," she responded, giving a warm smile. "It really will be okay you know. You may think you're alone, but you're not."

Kaiana turned her head away at that last statement. How did Brooke know what she was feeling? How did she know how alone she felt? "I kind of know, because my parents are always gone too," Brooke clarified. "It's not the same thing as your parents, but sometimes it feels like it." Kaiana returned her eyes to Brooke, seeing the sadness reflected in her eyes.

"It's so hard...so, so hard," Kaiana whispered, her eyes beginning to water. Brooke immediately pulled her into a hug, and Kaiana melted into the embrace. She cried softly on Brooke's shoulder, thankful for the warmth that her new friend was providing. After a couple more minutes, she pulled away and wiped her eyes hurriedly, jumping to her feet. "Sorry for blubbering like that."

Brooke got to her feet as well. "It's okay...really," she assured her. "Why don't you go wash your face and change into some comfortable clothes? And then we can start on that routine." Kaiana nodded, grateful for something to focus on besides her parents, and walked over to the staircase. She bounded up the stairs quickly, leaving Brooke standing alone in the living room, somewhat surprised at what had just happened. She couldn't believe how much she had changed. She used to be so hateful and self-absorbed. Now she felt like another person. She had just provided comfort to a girl who really needed it and she did it not because she was in the company of a celebrity, but because she really cared. Maybe Brooke Davis was finally turning into someone that she could actually be proud to see in the mirror.

**Note: Finally, another update. I have to go work on my 'Charmed' story today too. Alright guys, please review. I'm going to start off the next chapter with the following day. I may finally bring Dan and Debra into the story now.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Third Day**

**Disclaimer: I do not now nor did I ever own any of the One Tree Hill characters.**

Kaiana groaned softly, feeling her muscles protesting as she bent to re-tie her shoelaces. Brooke had nearly killed her yesterday with the routine she had come up with. She was thankful for all the help, but she wished someone would have warned her that Brooke was a drill sergeant. That girl got too serious when it came to this squad stuff. Kaiana knew it was because Brooke was captain of their school's cheering squad. She sighed aloud, knowing that she would probably have another grueling practice tonight too. But she had to admit one thing, dancing like that had been so much fun. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed it. That was the main reason why she was even putting up with Brooke's stern behavior towards the practicing for try outs. If she didn't like dancing, there was no way she would put herself through this much pain.

Kaiana had just locked her locker back up when she saw Peyton and Brooke coming towards her. She smiled and waved at them. She frowned slightly, noticing that Peyton didn't smile back. Brooke was the first to come up on her, slinging an arm around her shoulder. "So you ready for practice tonight," she asked heartily. Kaiana grunted in answer, causing Brooke to chuckle lightly. "I'll take that as a yes," Brooke continued, her dimples flashing.

"Hey Peyton," Kaiana called out, her voice slightly tentative. Peyton only nodded in response, her eyes looking everywhere else but at Kaiana, her demeanor showing that she obviously didn't want to be where she was. "Everything alright Peyton," Kaiana asked carefully.

Peyton didn't answer. As a matter of fact, she didn't even act like she heard the question. Kaiana quirked an eyebrow, her eyes floating over to Brooke, silently asking what was up with Peyton. Brooke rolled her eyes and shrugged. She didn't know what was wrong with her friend either. She had been pissy like this since yesterday afternoon and Brooke was getting sick of her behavior. "So what are you planning to do after school," Brooke asked, trying to appear nonchalant. "Maybe hang out with Luke?"

Peyton snorted loudly and rolled her eyes, her reaction noticed by both girls. Brooke elbowed Peyton hard. "What the hell is your problem Brooke," Peyton bit out. She knew she was being a bitch, but she couldn't seem to help herself. She liked Kaiana, but this sudden thing with Lucas was annoying her for some reason.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing," Brooke fired back. "What is wrong with you? You've been acting like this since yesterday. If you've got a problem, just spit it out like a normal person instead of being a bitch to everybody else!"

Peyton's eyes narrowed. "Why don't I take my bitchy self home and leave you alone with your new _friend_ then," she retorted coldly. She then hurried down the hallway, her books clenched tightly to her chest, ignoring Brooke's call for her to wait. She ran down the stairs and didn't stop until she got to her car. She dropped down onto the driver's seat, jamming her key in the ignition angrily. As she pulled out of the school's parking lot, she realized she was being very irrational, but she didn't care. She knew she was just really angry with herself for still caring about who Lucas dated. Her hand slammed down on the steering wheel, her anger seeming to grow with every second. An image of Jake popped into her mind for a moment, dimming her furious haze. How the hell could she be into Jake and still care about Lucas at the same time?

Brooke shook her head in amazement, not able to believe what had just transpired. Peyton was her best friend, with Haley following closely in second, but she was tired of dealing with her crap. Every time Peyton was upset about something, everyone had to deal with her attitude. Brooke knew she hadn't been exactly the best person to be around when she and Lucas had broken up, but still, that was different. Peyton was like this every other moment and it was really starting to grate on her nerves.

Brooke looked at Kaiana apologetically. "I'm sorry about that," she said softly, her hand gesturing to where Peyton stalked off. "She's gets like that when she's upset about something. We just have to give her time to sort out whatever it is that's bugging her and then she'll be back to herself."

Kaiana nodded, but she wasn't so sure. Peyton had been acting like that towards mostly her. She had seen her laughing with Haley earlier and talking pleasantly with Lucas, but whenever Kaiana came around, Peyton just clammed up. Kaiana had seen her in the hallway in between classes and had tried to start a friendly conversation with her, but Peyton just brushed her off, muttering that she had to go somewhere. She just couldn't understand how things could have changed between them so quickly. It seemed like now, Peyton didn't even like her.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Brooke told her. "Don't take it personal the way she's acting. She'll be back to normal soon." Brooke slung her arm through Kaiana's and led her through the main doors out into the sunshine. "Now as I was saying before, are you going to hang out with Luke today? You guys are supposed to be dating...remember."

Kaiana rolled her eyes as they headed towards her truck. "Yes I know that," she remarked sarcastically. "But you seem to have forgotten that it's only for pretend. We're not really dating." She opened her car door and flung her book bag in the back seat. She then climbed in and shut the driver's side door. "There's no reason for us to really hang out after school hours Brooke," she added quietly.

"Oh but that's where you're wrong," Brooke interjected. "You have to look like a couple on and off campus. People have to see you guys together around town, you know holding hands and all that junk. Trust me. Justin will get suspicious if you guys don't up your game."

"Up our game," Kaiana repeated dumbly. "What do you mean?"

Brooke placed her hand on her hip dramatically. "Well for starters you could act a little more friendly in school," she commented. "You guys don't look comfortable together. You guys put on a great act yesterday in front of Justin, but today you guys seemed kind of cold to each other. You need to loosen up...act more natural."

"You want me to act more natural with my _pretend_ boyfriend, notice the huge stress on the word _pretend_," Kaiana replied sarcastically. "How am I supposed to act when I'm suddenly in a relationship with a guy I barely know? Just tell me that Brooke."

"Yeah I know it's kind of weird, but just give it a chance," Brooke stated. "You guys are _so_ attracted to each other. You could start out by admitting that. Then it will feel more natural. And don't try to deny anything, because you two are _so_ obvious it would be disgusting if I didn't think you two look cute together."

Kaiana's mouth opened and then snapped shut, her face instantly flaming with heat. "Okay so what if that is true," she said warily. "What if I am attracted to him? It doesn't matter Brooke. I'm not ready to jump into any relationships right now. You know I'm dealing with a lot. I can't handle any more."

"Lucas is not something to handle," Brooke protested. "He's a wonderful guy who is totally into you. You think you're so alone, but really you're making yourself that way. You ever thought that maybe Lucas could be exactly what you need right now."

Kaiana blew out a breath of air, her gaze flitting over to the steps in front of the main doors, her eyes lighting up at seeing Haley. "There's Haley," she announced, sticking her arm out of the window to wave at the red-head.

"I know you're trying to avoid what I said," Brooke said gruffly. "Just think about it okay." Kaiana nodded. Brooke then turned to face Haley who had now reached where they were. "Hey tutor girl...what's going on," she greeted.

Haley pulled on Brooke's hair playfully. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that," Haley scolded. "I'm beginning to think you do it on purpose just to annoy me."

"Me...try to annoy one of my closest friends...never," Brooke replied in mock hurt. Haley raised a brow. "Okay so maybe I do it on purpose. So what? Isn't that what friends are for...to annoy each other?" Brooke grinned impishly at her friend.

Haley walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle and hopped in next to Kaiana. "You see what I have to deal with," she remarked wryly.

Kaiana looked at Brooke closely. "Yeah I'm getting the feeling," she muttered darkly, which earned her a mocking glare from Brooke. Kaiana turned on the car and both girls waved at Brooke, before they pulled out of the lot. "But you got to love her right," she added, turning to smile quickly at Haley.

Haley let out a rude noise. "Maybe you have to, but I don't," she remarked, making the driver release choking laugh. "No seriously, Brooke is a good friend. A lot of people think she's just wild and crazy, but she's a good person. She has a good heart."

"Believe me...I know," Kaiana said softly, remembering how Brooke had listened to her gripe about her problems the previous afternoon.

Kaiana parked by the curb, retrieved some money from her bag and her cell phone, before locking her truck. She walked slowly behind Haley into the diner, her eyes furtively scanning the café to see if she spotted a certain blonde, shaggy-haired teenage boy. She sighed in relief upon realizing that he wasn't there. She just wanted to eat in peace, maybe grab another one of those awesome frappacinos, and chill out for a moment. Haley gestured to the counter, indicating that Kaiana should take a seat, but she shook her head in refusal, choosing to sit at a table in the back of the diner close to the window.

She slid into the booth smoothly, a slight grimace passing across her face when she thought about the geometry homework she had to complete. If she wanted to go to bed at a decent hour tonight, she needed to get it over with now so that she could be free to practice with Brooke later. She had gotten to bed way to late last night because she had foolishly decided to do homework after Brooke left. She had just felt so depressed and tired and if not for Brooke's enthusiasm, she would have still been stuck in the funk she was in yesterday afternoon. She really should to do her geometry homework now, but she just couldn't muster up the energy to attempt it right now. She hated geometry with a passion, well all forms of math really. She knew she desperately needed help if she wanted to pass that class with a decent grade. Haley was a tutor. Maybe Haley could help her or at least recommend another tutor.

Kaiana slid out of the booth and walked over to the counter. She hopped up onto a stool, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched Haley concentrating on pouring coffee grounds into the machine. Haley finished her task, her eyes meeting Kaiana's, noting that the girl was staring at her. "O-kay what's up," Haley asked warily, leaning forward on the counter. "I can practically see the wheels in your head turning, plus you were sitting over there and now suddenly you're here at the counter. What gives?"

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you could tutor me in Geometry," Kaiana questioned hopefully. "I-hate-math and I need your help...please." She protruded her bottom lip in the way she used to as a little girl to get her way when she was little.

Haley let out a small giggle. "Sure no problem...you don't have to give me that look," she retorted. "One of my students just dropped out, so there's an open space. Apparently I'm such a fabulous tutor; he doesn't need my help anymore." She then turned around and grabbed a cup and began putting in the ingredients required for a mocha frappacino. "I hope I'm not jumping the gun here by making this for you. You do want one right?"

"Well aren't we modest," Kaiana commented sardonically, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Haley making the frozen coffee drink. "And yeah I do want one...thanks. And thanks for agreeing to help me out with this math."

Haley flashed her a bright smile. "I told you...no problem," she told her. "And you're lucky that I'm choosing to ignore that flippant comment you just made about me being modest."

"I would appreciate that oh 'great one'," Kaiana quipped. The bell on the front door chimed and Kaiana spun around on the stool to see who the new customers were. She inhaled sharply as two familiar teenage boys came walking towards her with an older blonde lady behind them. Lucas and Nathan. Seeing Nathan didn't cause the gasp, but seeing Lucas, well that was a whole other matter. His eyes met hers and her mouth instantly became dry. Nathan dropped down on the stool to her right, while Lucas took up residence on the stool to her left.

Nathan nudged her jokingly. "Hey what's up girl," he greeted brightly. His eyes then immediately fell on Haley, a wide smile coming on his face. And then his eyes went to his mom. "Oh this is my mom...Debra Scott," he announced, gesturing to the woman who had walked in the diner behind them.

Kaiana waved at the lady currently smiling at her, her eyes watching curiously as the woman tied an apron around her waist. "Hi," Kaiana called out cheerfully, holding her hand out to shake the hand outstretched towards her. "It's nice to meet you--," she trailed off not sure how to address Nathan's mom.

"Just call me Debra...and it's nice to meet you too," Debra replied warmly. "So Nathan tells me you're new in town. Everything okay...you know with school and the move? It must be hard to be in a new place."

Kaiana turned to look at Lucas, finding him watching her closely, and she smiled. "Well it is, but I made some new friends who are making it easier," she said softly, her eyes still holding his gaze. She broke out the trance and rested her eyes back on Mrs. Scott, her cheeks warming at the slight smirk on the woman's face. Haley came up to the counter just then and set her drink down in front of her. She then leaned over and met Nathan's lips with a lingering kiss.

Kaiana rolled her eyes. "Jeez...you guys kiss like that even in front of your mom Nathan," she said laughing. "Lord, I thought only us at school had to deal with seeing that."

"I try my best to ignore them," Debra retorted dryly, snapping Haley playfully with a towel, making the young girl pull away from her son. Haley smiled slyly and resumed her task of re-filling the coffee machine with the flavored grounds.

"We all do," Lucas said softly. Kaiana turned to look at him again, her eyes widening at the way he was looking at her. She pulled her eyes away and picked up her cup to take a huge gulp, hoping the frozen drink would cool down the heat she was feeling. "So are we ever going to talk about this," Lucas asked quietly.

Kaiana stiffened and then relaxed, her finger playing idly with her straw. "Talk about what," she replied nonchalantly, without looking at him.

"You know what," Lucas answered firmly, but his voice was still soft. "Playing dumb is not one of your strong points," he added with a small chuckle. She looked at him then. They did need to talk, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for that conversation. She knew he wanted to talk about _them_, specifically about her reactions to every time he tried to get close to her today. She had pulled away every time, feeling uncomfortable and scared of what she was feeling for him.

"Lucas, I'm not sure now is the right time for that talk," Kaiana said gently.

Lucas sighed loudly, ignoring the fact that everyone else could currently hear their conversation. "Look we need to get this settled," he said sternly. He jumped off the stool and took Kaiana's hand, pulling her off the stool. "We can go sit at a booth in the back and talk. Please." Kaiana stared into his blue eyes, feeling herself caving. She nodded wordlessly and he began leading her towards the back of the café when a tall broad shoulder man with dark hair entered the café, his demeanor screaming arrogance. Lucas pulled up short when he saw him. _What the hell is he doing here?_

**Note: I'll stop it there, because the chapter was getting way too long. Finally I'm bringing Nathan's parents into it. Please review you guys!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Dan Makes Waves**

**Disclaimer: I do not now nor did I ever own any of the One Tree Hill characters.**

Lucas's face tightened the way it always did whenever he saw that man. "Why are you here," he asked coldly.

Dan looked his first son up and down contemptuously. "This is a public place open to all customers," he barked sarcastically. "I have as much right to be here as anyone else." With that he stepped past Lucas, heading straight for the counter. "Debra we need to talk," he stated coolly.

Debra's mouth formed into a thin line. "Don't do this Dan...not here," she retorted quietly. "Please Dan. Don't start anything."

"I'm not the one who started this whole mess," Dan scoffed. "You're the one going through with this whole divorce and putting _my _son through so much pain!"

Debra threw the rag she was holding down onto the counter. "How dare you say that to me after how you've treated Nathan," she fumed, her cool slipping away. "You're the one hurting _our_ son Dan! You're the one putting him through pain!"

Nathan closed his eyes in frustration. 'God why is this happening to me,' he thought to himself. Nathan's eyes fluttered open and searched for Haley. His eyes met her concerned ones and he felt himself draw some warmth just from her looking at her. She always managed to make him feel better, even in the presence of his father. "Dad would you just quit it," Nathan said finally. "Just leave Dad...please."

Dan turned his head sharply, narrowing his eyes at Nathan. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to," he replied slowly, his tone low and menacing. "Don't talk to me like that Nathan. I'm your father and I don't deserve this kind of attitude from you. After all I've done for you and now you're acting like an ungrateful brat!"

"Oh and you're such a wonderful father right," Nathan said tightly. "Lucas and I are inclined to disagree with that." His eyes closed after that last statement, hoping that he hadn't hurt Lucas by saying that, even though it was the truth. "Just please go Dad," he finished quietly. Nathan heard his father curse under his breath and he listened to the sounds of him stalking towards the exit. He didn't open his eyes until he heard the front door to the diner slam.

The café was quiet, the deafening silence stretching on for several minutes, no one wanting to be the first to speak. Finally, Karen came out from in the back, her eyes floating over the familiar faces. "What's going on out here," she questioned. "I thought I heard Dan out here. Is everything okay?" Her eyes rested on Lucas standing in the middle of the café next to Kaiana, his face etched in anger. "Luke honey...you okay," she asked, stepping from behind the counter to walk towards her son. "Hey you okay," she repeated, running a hand down his arm.

Lucas shook his head in answer. "No...no I'm not okay at all," he said shakily, his blues eyes now lifeless and cold as they bore into his brother's back.

As if on cue, Nathan turned around and caught Lucas's stare; feeling even more hatred for his father when he saw his half-brother's expression. "Lucas...don't okay...don't let him get to you," Nathan said, his tone pleading. "I'm sorry about that...what I said. Just...don't---." He didn't know what he was asking for. He just knew he didn't want to mess up whatever it was he and Lucas had...not now...not after all they had been through to get to this point.

"Why are you sorry...what you said was the truth wasn't it," Lucas responded acidly. "He was never a good father...at least not to me. Oh yeah...that's right. He was never a father to me at all." Lucas turned around and started walking towards the door.

Kaiana followed him quickly, reaching out and grabbing his arm, spinning him around to face her. "Lucas wait...don't leave like this," she pleaded. "Are you going to be alright?" He didn't answer her, his eyes staring down at the floor. "What about that talk you wanted to have," she said softly, trying anything to take the sadness off his face.

His head snapped upwards at that. Lucas placed both hands on the sides of her face, his eyes softening slightly. "I can't...not right now okay," he told her. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to. I just...I have to get out of here. I have to be alone for a little while. Do you understand?" Kaiana nodded. "Okay, we'll talk soon though," he promised, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Lucas then kissed his mother on the cheek and whispered to her 'that he would be fine'. Everyone watched as he exited the diner, his shoulders slumped and his hands deep in his pockets.

But Nathan was the only one who knew just how Lucas felt, because he had the same 'dickhead' for a father. He didn't know when it had happened but at that moment, he realized that he cared about Lucas. He cared a lot. He hadn't wanted to admit it before, but he had always cared all along. He had only done those things to Lucas to please his father. Back then he would have done anything just to make Dan Scott happy. Now he just wished that his father would just leave him alone...that he would leave them alone...leave them alone to form the brotherly relationship that he and Lucas should have had from the beginning.

Nathan sighed heavily, turning back around to place his head in his arms. He felt someone rubbing his back soothingly and he let himself sink into the comfort. His head raised and stared at the person providing the warmth. "You okay," Karen asked gently. Nathan gazed at her now in amazement. She was concerned about him, in spite of the fact that he might have just contributed to Lucas leaving so abruptly.

"You're wondering if I'm okay even though it's partly my fault Lucas left," Nathan asked incredulously. Nathan quickly gave her a run down of what had happened while she was in the back, wincing when he came to the part about the comment he had made about Dan. "I would have thought you would have been mad at me...like Lucas probably is." He shook his head at his stupidity. He always allowed his father to get him to a point where he was liable to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm not mad at you sweetie," Karen responded calmly. "It's not your fault that your father is like that. He has a way of riling people up to say just about anything. And I don't think Luke is mad at you either." She gave him another pat on the back and returned behind the counter.

Debra reached across the counter and stroked Nathan's cheek lovingly. "Sweetheart Karen is right," she said. "Your father...well...he's angry at me about the divorce and he's taking it out on everyone else. I wish you didn't have to go through this. You know I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you right?" Nathan nodded. "Okay good," she said quietly. "I know Lucas said he wants to be alone, but maybe you should go try and talk to him," she suggested.

Nathan thought about that proposition for a minute. He wasn't sure if he and Lucas were close enough to start having heart to heart talks, especially with the tension between Lucas and their father. But, on the other hand, if he wanted their relationship to grow then he had to put aside the fear of being rejected and try to talk to Lucas, if only to make him understand that they shouldn't let their father come between them. Nathan stood up, his mind automatically making a decision. His eyes once again sought Haley and she instantly came around the counter and threw her arms around his waist. He held her close to him and then pulled back to kiss her softly. "You think he's at the River court," he asked her.

"Maybe...I don't know," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders. "He might also be at your uncle's body shop."

Nathan nodded in affirmation. "Alright, I'll check both places," he said quickly. "Mom I'll see you at home okay." He kissed Haley once more time and then proceeded to walk toward the exit, when he remembered something. His head turned just as his hand touched the doorknob. "Oh and thanks Karen...for you know," he said honestly.

"No problem Nathan," Karen answered smiling. "Will you call me if you find him?" She knew Lucas would probably be fine, but she couldn't help being worried.

"Yeah sure," Nathan replied, returning her smile. He gave a half hearted wave and then he was out the door. He climbed into his car and pulled away from the curb swiftly. He just hoped that Lucas was okay and that he wasn't mad at him. Karen had tried to reassure him, but he still had his doubts.

* * *

Lucas bounced the ball angrily on the cement. He threw the ball in the air towards the basket, letting out a stream of curses when he missed. He then slammed the ball on the court, the object flying up in the air behind him. He turned around to see where the ball went and his eyes fell on Nathan, who was now holding the ball in his hands. "Can I have my ball back please," he asked tersely.

"Sure," Nathan replied easily, tossing the ball to him. "But we need to talk....about what happened at your mom's café."

Lucas dropped the ball to the ground, ignoring it as it rolled away from him, to walk over to the bleachers. He sat down and motioned for Nathan to sit next to him. He waited until Nathan was sitting beside him to speak again. "We don't need to talk about that," Lucas said more calmly, his eyes staring straight ahead. "Let's just forget it."

"No," Nathan said softly.

Lucas turned to look at him, his eyebrow rising. "What do you mean no," he said, his tone indicating his surprise. It wasn't like Nathan to want to actually talk about stuff like this with him. They only talked about basketball, school, or occasionally Haley.

"I mean there are some things we need to clear up," Nathan answered firmly. "I don't want to just sweep this under the rug. I want, no I need, us to talk about this."

Lucas looked at Nathan skeptically. "Why," was his only response.

"Because I---," Nathan broke off, his stomach suddenly clenching in knots. "Because I think you and I are finally at a place where it's beyond tolerating each other. We're actually getting along now and I don't anything to mess that up."

Lucas appeared taken aback. He hadn't expected that from Nathan. "I don't want anything to mess it up either," he responded sincerely.

"I'm sorry about what I said at the café," Nathan told him. "Just because it's true doesn't mean it should be said. He just makes me so mad sometimes." Nathan looked away then. "I don't want our father to come between us Lucas."

Lucas closed his eyes briefly, hating the words 'our father'. He would never accept that man as his father. "Don't be sorry for saying what's true," he responded queitly. "I'm not mad at you Nathan, just at him. The way he's been acting, especially lately, with you and your mom gets to me. I just hate to see him talking to you guys like that." Lucas paused. "And he won't come between us Nathan."

Nathan returned his eyes to look at Lucas. "But he already has come between us Lucas," he countered darkly. "He's been doing it ever since Little League. I don't want us to go back to how it was before."

Lucas met his brother's eyes directly. "He _won't_ come between us Nathan," he repeated firmly. "I won't let him. But...you have to know that it's going to be weird for me sometimes. I've forgiven you for all that dumb hazing stuff, but when Dan's around, I just get so angry. And then I look at you and I feel sort of resentful...because you had him and I never did."

Nathan nodded in understanding, even though Lucas's last statement hurt him. "I can't help it that he chose to stay with my mom and not yours Luke," he said, pulling his eyes away again. "And truthfully, I wish more and more that he had left my mom...that he hadn't raised me. You're not the only one he hurts Lucas. He hurts me a lot too...now more than ever."

Lucas felt a slice of pain go through his chest. "I know he does," Lucas told him softly. "And I know it's not your fault. I'm trying to work on separating you from Dan, but it's hard." Lucas forced a smile then, elbowing Nathan playfully. "I guess I'll have to try harder then."

Nathan smiled then and chuckled. "Yeah...you do that," he replied, as he rose from the bench, strolling over to where the ball lay. He retrieved it from the ground and began bouncing it from side to side. "Now come on. Let's play some one and one."

Lucas smiled wider, forcing the depressing thoughts about his father from his mind, getting up to walk towards Nathan. "Okay...let's do it," he announced, his mood now improved dramatically. Nathan was right. They couldn't let their bastard of a father come between them. Lucas vowed silently to try to be understanding about where Nathan was coming from. It wasn't his fault and Lucas realized that he had been blaming him for the hurt Dan had caused him and his mom. Nathan was going through a lot right now. He needed to step up and be the big brother that Nathan needed.

* * *

Meanwhile, a dark grey SUV sat, the driver watching the two boys laugh and play basketball, his face showing the stress and fatigue he had been feeling as of late. All traces of bitterness were gone from his features now, because he didn't have to pretend to be hateful here in the presence of his vehicle. He could just sit quietly and watch the son who he raised and loved laugh like he hadn't seen him laugh in a long time. And he could also watch the son who he abandoned, but loved just as much. Dan bit his lip hard to stop himself from crying, turning the key in the ignition, his misery consuming him. As he drove away from his two children, he wondered how he could have screwed up so royally. Now it seemed like he lost both sons.

**Note: I wanted to bring Dan and Debra into the story, especially to start showing how Dan affects the relationship that Nathan and Lucas have. Plus, I wanted to show at the end that Dan may not be really as bas as he seems. I honestly think that he loves the both of them. He just needs to work on how to show it properly. I hope to also show in this story the conflicting and complicated relationship between Lucas/Dan/Nathan. Next chapter will be tryouts and you may finally see some heat between Lucas/Kaiana. As always, I request that you guys please review.**


	17. Author Notes

**Author Notes **

I have to apologize to everyone who was following this story. I don't think I will be finishing this story as I had hoped, at least not anytime soon. I would like to instead concentrate on the last two that I posted since those are the plots floating around in my head right now ('Since That Night" + 'True Destiny Continues'). I do intend to finish this story because it bothers me so much that I haven't. By the time I do finish though, no one will probably be interested in it anymore, but that's okay. Again, my apologies. It is not your fault that muse jumps from one thing to another or that it disappears entirely. Please forgive me.


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